


The Invisible

by FrostedGemstones22



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 59
Words: 91,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1652195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostedGemstones22/pseuds/FrostedGemstones22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Elsa returned to Arendelle, she didn't come back alone- but with a man who was invisible to everyone but her, and also the love of her life. Stories tell of love and beginnings, but what happens when she must find a king? Wants to be married? How can a mortal woman truly make it work with an immortal man? This is what happens after the happy endings and the return of a queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my Jelsa journey. I hadn't seen Frozen until recently, but saw a Jelsa picture and looked around a bit. I can't say I loved them, but it was an interesting idea. Then I saw Frozen and well...I was sold. Originally I intended to just quickly whip this out, maybe have it be three parts about 10-15 pages each, but now I'm up to 50 pages with a faraway end. So, therefore, the chapters will be shorter and hopefully more frequently updated, which is good for all of you.
> 
> I've seen a lot of the stories of how they met, but mine deals mostly with the after and how things are dealt with...like the fact you have to believe in Jack to see him...or how it's going to work out since he's immortal and she's not, along with other stuff.
> 
> I have to thank my wonderful friend, Thea- who often goes by StarryKnight- for being my beta. This would have really bad grammar without you :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. I do own certain characters in this story, but I'm not making money off of it. If I had it my way, Disney and Dreamworks would have collaborated to make it real.

It was quite the normal round, when it happened.

Fly around, he thought with a inward chuckle, to be more correct. Ah, he'd just frozen over the most brilliant pond out north and sat and watched the sun rise over the hills and the ice explode with sparkles. It had only been a handful of years since his creation, and at the moment, he wondered how he was to be so lucky to have gotten this job. Well, the fact he couldn't exactly remember the details before didn't bother him much. He was here now, wasn't he?

He flew over a mountain, expecting to see the light dusting that he would soon turn into a full out blizzard, but stopped in mid-flight. The area was covered in what already looked like the dead of winter. Even the spaces, as far as he could see, where it was usually summer, were encased in snow.

Now, Jack may have been slightly air-headed on occasion, but he rarely forgot where and when he made a place winter. And this place in particular, well, it was a special place. He knew the origins of his creation- Jack Frost was a Norse myth. And these Nordic lands still upheld slight tradition, and he always liked to hear the occasional mother tell her child about him, so he kept careful check. But this was beyond his memories. There was a darkness to this winter too, and his fists balled. He would find the source of his job and set them straight. If there was another Winter Spirit in his territory, then both he and the Man in the Moon would hear his complaints.

He flew over the castled area and saw the shivering people and the children too cold to play. It was reckless and caused by an amateur, he decided. The trick was to make the children like the snow, to play, to laugh. He never made winter this cold unless the town was made of adults who sat inside all day anyway.

Over the mountains, he saw a glimmer of light, just like the pond. Ice. There was a lot of it too, and the negative energies flowed from the area. It was so pungent and filled with bad emotions that it made something inside Jack shiver.

He was quite confused when he came upon a palace made of ice. It was so beautiful and fragile that it couldn't possibly be the source of this winter and bad emotions. He admired it from the skies for a couple moments, thinking that if he had a house, he would want to live there, before he noticed a balcony over the far side of the house. With the lightness of a feather, he landed. The ice beneath his feet was smooth and free of imperfections. He couldn't believe it was so well handled because there were no signs of any mortal interference like usual. How was it so flawless?

More curiously, the room he entered was empty. He chuckled, walking around. Well, if no was going to settle in, he'd be happy to. A bed there, in the corner. Right here, a place to put his staff. Perhaps a sitting chair near the door. Of course, there was still a whole castle to explore! His childish delight sprung up like a spring, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. His deep chortle reverberated around the walls.

The door swung open, and he turned to see who the house belonged to. The person he came face to face with was not the face he expected. Her eyes were wide and blue, her fingers were soft and slender as they came to her lips that formed in a perfect 'o' shape. Her hair, so beautiful and white, cascaded over her shoulder and onto the dress which shimmered with something he was sure was snowflakes as she paused. The wheels worked in his brain. She was so surprised... because she could see him?

Impossible. This was clearly a young adult, and they never saw him. It was only ever the occasional young one that recognized him, but even they grew out of faith. She was still a human, and therefore she would not see him. He wondered how she came to acquire this house and reasoned that if he was invisible, then he could live comfortably here without her ever knowing.

She still looked surprised, and he checked around his shoulder to see if anything extra-ordinary had happened on the deck while he'd been here. When he turned back, he saw her lips pull down in an ugly scowl.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded. He looked around, turning, hoping to see someone else behind him. When he came back to a full circle, she was still glaring in his direction.

"...Me?" he asked.

She crossed her arms and raised her chin. "Is there anyone else in the room?" she asked.

"Your hair is white." He whispered, enamored with her hair. He'd never seen white hair before. Except, of course, on his head.

She looked positively furious. "So is yours!"

"You can see me, then. You can actually see me." He got really close to her, and she stumbled back. The first signs of uncertainty crossed her face, and he realized she was not nearly as brave as she made herself to be.

"Yes. Of course. If you think you're hiding, then you should know you're not doing very well." She sniffed, and Jack shook his head.

"You can see me."

"Yes. We've established I have eyes. Now I'll repeat my question; what are you doing here?" Her words were dangerous, he knew, so he decided to ignore them and wandered around the room.

"So do you live here?" he asked, and she dipped her head, unsure of how to reply to a man who so bluntly ignored her demanding question.

"Yes."

"Really? I was just around this area a month ago, and it wasn't here. How did you build this place? It's...flawless," he breathed.

"Flawless?" She dropped her composure for a moment, caught off guard by his question.

He turned to her, a twinkle in his eye.

"Beautiful," he said with such a look in his eyes that the woman looked away.

"The house is," she agreed, but she wasn't sure if it was exactly the house he was referring to. "No matter your reason, you have to go."

"What?" Jack snapped around. First the beautiful ice house, then a beautiful woman that knew he existed, and now he was being asked to leave? That did not sit well in his stomach.

"You heard me. You have to leave. It's...for your own safety, really. I don't want to hurt anyone." Her last sentence was so soft it was a squeak of sound, and she began to back away.

"Hurt me?" He laughed, striding up to her.

"Really, that's too close. Don't get any closer. I'm serious, you could be...be..." She faltered, and he noticed her hands clenched tight and shaking.

"Do you plan on punching me?" he questioned, "Or is there a sword somewhere? I assure you, I'm near invincible," he said with pride, smiling at her.

"It's much worse. And I'm serious-,"

"Jack," he supplied, "Jack Frost- at your service."

Her hands stopped shaking, and her eyes widened. "Jack Frost?" she repeated, and he nodded enthusiastically. She would understand, surely, if she could see him.

"The one and only."

"Odin, your parents must hate you." She stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Jack frowned; this was not the response he'd hoped for.

"What? What's so amusing about my name?" he growled, sour at her giggles.

"Well, you know the myth. What kind of parent purposely names their son something so...so..." She struggled.

"I'm no myth!" he said defensively, "Myths indicate falsehoods. I'm for sure real."

The girl dropped her hands. "You're serious? Then you must be mentally unstable," she concurred.

"Hey!" He got close to her and grabbed her arm. She was shaking again and tried to get away.

"You really shouldn't be touching me, I swear," she said through gritted teeth.

"Take it back. I'm fine. Take it back."

She resisted his grip even more.

"I warned you," she whispered, and ice began to crawl up his fingers until he was blown away by an explosion of shards. He caught himself in the air and dropped the ice into puddles at his feet. The girl was at the back of the room, against a wall, and looked positively terrified at what she expected to have happen, most likely a bloody death. She looked at him, the puddles on the floor, and he looked at her, the ice snaking from her fingers.

"How did you do that?"

The question was fired in unison. They stared at each other for a couple more seconds, before Jack dropped back to the ground.

"As I said before, Jack Frost, at your service." He growled, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"Odin's eye, you're...r...real!" She shook her head. "Oh gosh, I'm imagining this." She shut her eyes tight, and Jack crouched down, and gingerly taking one of her hands, an ice cold which on any normal human he would swear they were dead but on her felt natural.

"I'm not fake, trust me," he whispered, and her eyes opened slowly. They were such a brilliant color of cerulean blue, and he took a sharp intake of breath. He hadn't felt such a way about a woman...ever. It was an odd tingling in his stomach and yearning he'd never encountered before.

"Jack Frost." She smiled, "You were my imaginary friend when I was a child."

"That so?" He stood, helping her up, "And who are you, who has powers I've never seen before. Did the Man in the Moon give them to you as well?" he asked.

"Who?" she questioned. "No, no. I was born with them."

"Me too, I guess." He shrugged when she looked at his hands expectantly.

"Your name, beauty?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"None of that now." She became the composed girl he saw when she had first entered the room, and he was sad to see her return. She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, "You are looking at the Elsa, Queen of Arendelle. You must be from a neighboring area, or you would have known that."

Jack dropped to a bow. "A queen! M'lady." He pretended to curtsy.

Her lip curled into a smile. Then, it fell. "Well, I was. But I live here alone now." She looked at him pointedly, and he felt it to be a hint to leave, but he wasn't going anywhere.

"Alone?" he echoed. "Isn't that...lonely?"

"That's the point. I'm free though." She reveled in the words, and Jack saw frost drip from her palms, and he tilted his head.

"That sounds like a story," he said, and Elsa shook her head.

"If I may return to my solidarity," she asked, and Jack shook his head.

"Such a big place for one person. I'm assuming you've guessed I don't mind the cold, so I think I'll stay here for awhile." His words caused Elsa to sputter and loose her mask of composure.

"What? No," she said firmly and coughed, "I command you to leave me in peace!" She attempted to sound like a graceful queen. He saw through her though, but he didn't doubt she wanted a little bit of isolation. Too bad; what better than two people who were isolated to be isolated together?

"Nice try, Elsa." He walked over to the door, "But you're not my queen."


	2. Chapter Two

Elsa went to bed that night itching. She hadn't seen Jack since he went off to explore her castle creation, and she hoped he'd left. But a part of her wanted him to stay. He understood, on some level, her powers because he had them too. How lucky to find another person so gifted that couldn't be harmed by her hands. And he seemed a little lost, she thought with a frown. She recalled her sister and guessed they were around the same age. Her sister wouldn't ever be alone, though, not with Hans by her side now. But to be so young and so alone was no doubt a tragedy. She wouldn't like it, but she was too caring to really kick him out.

In the morning, she had mixed feelings to still find him there, snoozing on a makeshift bed in one of the many previously empty rooms she'd created. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him sleep.  
Maybe, she thought with a laugh, if an uglier man had done what he'd done and claimed what he had, she would have had an easier time turning him away. His attraction to her was evident, and there was a pull in the same direction from her end. She was thrown off by his hair as well, although she couldn't have told him that at the time. And his eyes were like a fresh drink of water, surrounded by the features of a man who had died. He couldn't be dead though- not when she'd felt his pulse and warmth on her wrist before, not when his breath carried on the wind to her like the most beautiful flower.

"It's not polite to stare, Queen Elsa." He broke her from her thoughts, and she saw his eyes blink awake.

"I was just seeing if you'd left." She stood taller and turned to hide a blush. "I guess breakfast is downstairs."

"Does that mean I can stay?" he called after her with a laugh, sitting up and stretching. Her lack of an answer was loud enough for him.


	3. Chapter Three

He did indeed stay, because he knew she liked having him around. He'd realized early on she was afraid of her powers, such wonderful powers, and he fought to change that. He could see she wasn't born naturally with the ability to control them, and no one had ever attempted to help her. It was slow going, though. Even letting them out more than what she had even done an inch of to create the house had her breathing deeply, and one day she ended up crying.

"I froze my whole room after my parents died. I didn't let my sister in; she needed me, but I was too caught up to let her see. No one knew; I had to keep it a secret."

He noticed when he finally decided to hold her, she didn't object.

They had soon fallen into a comforting pattern. He was almost passing the line with the comments toward her; she let herself go a little. They quickly learned they enjoyed each other's company, and Jack felt something with her he had never felt before. It was such a connection that the thought of leaving now physically hurt him.

It was days later, but Jack wasn't sure as they all bled into one another, when she stopped eating her dinner and she scrutinized him.

"How old are you?" she questioned, setting down her fork. Jack bit his lip, as he'd been hoping to avoid this.

"Seventeen...ish." He couldn't lie to her; she could have seen through it.

"Ish?" She repeated, pressing.

"Give or take a couple decades." He attempted to stay causal, and he saw her eyes widen. "Well, you can't expect Jack Frost to be mortal, can you?"

"No." She looked at him, nodding, "I suppose not." It seemed to be an acceptance of his being, and he grinned wide.

"How old are you, m'lady?" He asked. Elsa smiled.

"It's not polite for a lady to say." She winked at him for the first time, and his whole body shuddered with want.

"C'mon, I told my real age." He leaned over the table until their noses almost touched. He noticed the blush that crawled up her alabaster skin.

"I'm 21," she admitted after a long moment.

Jack sat back on his chair. "Sweet Loki, I'm cradle robbing," he moaned with laughter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her cheeks turning even brighter red.

"It means I'm falling for a woman much too young for me," he said with a sly grin, and Elsa stood.

"I need to...the front foyer...the falls need...fortifying." She stuttered suddenly, forgoing her dinner and exiting with a swish of her blue gown. She would be back, he knew it.


	4. Chapter 4

She was, of course. Late into the night, she paced outside where he'd been sleeping for nearly two weeks.

"Elsa, I can hear you," Jack called from inside the door, and she mentally cursed.

She meekly entered the room. He was wide awake, of course, and sitting with an expectant look upon his face. That damned grin of his, too.

"What brings you here at this hour, Queen?" he asked.

Elsa gathered her courage, sitting at the edge of his bed, "Was it true?"

"Was what true?" he asked.

She frowned. He was really going to make her spell it out, wasn't he? He knew exactly what she was talking about, and he was enjoying it. "What you said...at dinner," she said.

"Ah, we said so much at dinner. I believe we had quite the satisfying conversation about reindeer and having a maid to clean your room."

"No...the other conversation."

"Remind of that one again; I'm a bit hazy from sleep."

Elsa glared at him. "You know what, Jack? Never mind." She started to leave, but Jack grabbed her arm.

"C'mon. I know what you're talking 'bout." He smiled softly.

"Was it true?" Her second time asking was much softer, much of the same fear toward her powers reflected.

Jack softly pulled her down to lay by him, knotting his fingers in her hair. He realized from her stories she'd most likely never loved another man before, and this made him protective. Elsa was his; he'd believed in her first like she had first seen him.

The first time he kissed her, it was hesitant- hardly a brush of the lips. She stiffened, and Jack began rubbing circles along her back to calm her down. He didn't know where he knew what he did, but somewhere in his male mind; it was coming by pure instinct.

Even though his body was seventeen, his mind was much older, and he realized he wanted older things. This is why his second kiss was much more bruising, and this time she reacted. Positively. He wondered if it was coming naturally to her as well. He only paused when she had to come up for air, and he looked at the state of her braids- no longer such. Her hair lay in waves down her back, free from the bonds. He ran his fingers down her white locks.

"I think you just don't like answering my questions, Jack." She laughed against him, and he smiled.

"They're usually answers you already know."


	5. Chapter 5

It was only the next day when Jack's perfect world here fell apart. He had imagined that they would always live alone in their seclusion, stay happy and free. But as he perched on top of one of the spiraling roofs (a pastime which Elsa despised, worrying he'd harm himself even though he assured her he could fly) he saw people approaching the palace. There was a girl, a man, a reindeer, and a strange white moving thing. He pursed his lips, but he didn't tell Elsa yet. They were too far away for him to see them clearly, so there was no use giving her such sparse information.

Instead, he went back inside, quite sure they wouldn't reach the castle anyway. It was still a couple hours trek, and if Elsa pleased, she could easily send them away. He found her still asleep in her own bed, which he'd carried her to the night before. He lay over the covers at her side, curling up beside her.

When Elsa woke, the people were at the palace. Jack followed her down the staircase where her eyes widened.

"Anna."

Oh, it must be her sister. She didn't look back at Jack, but Jack looked at Anna. He put a hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa had described her sister as fun-loving and the bright sun to her cold moon. She was ever child-like and believed in things like fairies. There was no reason why she wouldn't see Jack, Elsa had declared. But now...she just looked past him unless she was looking directly at her sister. Jack's hopes fell. She couldn't see him.

Elsa was from his grasp, talking to Anna, telling her to leave. Yes- he agreed- leave. Let them live together in peace, because now she would never understand.

Elsa turned and ran back to the balcony room where Jack had landed, and Jack stood firm, ready to turn Anna back if she tried to follow. She did, but ran directly through him. Like every time, it left him feeling empty, like the person had taken part of him away.

He sat on the steps for a moment, regaining himself. She had to leave- he wouldn't live a life invisible again!

He stormed up the stairs, slipping through the open door to hear Anna's words.

"Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep...snow."

His eyes snapped to Elsa, who just seemed to crumble. He felt the bad energies that he'd tried so hard to keep away from her return, and he stepped behind her. The words Anna said only half made it through his brain. Eternal Winter...everywhere. Elsa was slowly collapsing at the words, scared and angry.

"I...can't. I don't know how," Elsa whispered when Anna asked her to just 'fix it.' Hell, Anna, Jack thought angrily, it wasn't so easy.

"I"m such a fool!" Elsa cursed, and Jack got in front of her, holding her shoulders.

"You're not a fool. Remember, the power is beauty. Don't be afraid of it Elsa, please, we worked so hard," he whispered, but Elsa's eyes were watery with tears.

Anna tried to come to her, and Jack jumped away and saw Elsa shudder as he did, but she was scampering away.

"You'll only make it worse!" She shook her head frantically, and Jack wanted to grab Anna and shake her.

'Look what you've done to her; you're making her fear it even more!' He'd scream, frustrated at his Elsa's feelings that now she once again couldn't control.

"I cant!" Elsa finally yelled, and Jack felt himself being covered in frost shards everywhere.

"Elsa!" he cried, running to her collapsed form. She was heaving heavily (two too similar of words together perhaps) and refused to look at her hands. They shook, shoved into her stomach hard.

"Anna?" A man and what looked like a snowman rushed into the castle, and the man protectively stood in front of Anna, who was on the ground. Jack was detached, watching Elsa rise up with her queen-presence and insist they leave. She didn't look as she created the snow monster and sent them away.

"We belong alone," she said sourly, walking past Jack and hitting his shoulder as she did.

"Elsa, please," he whispered, grabbing her wrist. She yanked it away.

"Don't you see, I'm a monster, Jack," she said and turned with a yell, creating a new jagged wall on the staircase in her anger.

Jack jumped in front of her.

"Don't say such foolish things, Elsa," he said firmly, and she looked away from him.

"Didn't you see what I did? It was my sister." She gasped out the words, and her legs shook, and he worried she'd fall.

"I saw fear, fear we can fix. We are meant to be alone, but alone together."

Elsa fingered the soft material of his heavy shirt and drew him into her with sudden ferocity, pulling him down to kiss her. Jack responded with a laugh against her lips, pressing her against the nearest wall.

"Anna didn't see you," Elsa said in a break for breath.

"I know," he said and dipped back in to kiss her again.


	6. Chapter 6

It was okay to kiss her for awhile, make her forget when he kissed down her neck, and felt her shudder at his touch. But that couldn't last forever, and soon the guilt powered over her perhaps love for Jack. The colors of the castle began to change into ugly blues and reds, and shadows fell across the rooms. In her bed, she cried.

"I can fix it, maybe." Jack said, crouching down to her face.

"You can?" she asked, sniffling.

"I think so. Where is Arendelle, exactly."

"Fly north and you'll be sure to find it." She said, rolling over, "Come back to me, Jack, please."

Jack curled up next to her, drawing her slender body against his. His lips trailed up her body, until they were at her ear.

"I plan to, my queen, so that we can live together here happily." Elsa gave a contented sigh, and Jack felt a new sort of need growing inside his body. It was the kind that made him loose himself for a moment as he flipped Elsa onto her back, and crawled over her.

"Jack, what are you doing?" She asked, and her face was mostly sad, but there was a hint of what might be a smile.

He grinned coyly at her, and didn't answer. He teased her, kissing everywhere except her lips and letting his hands wander. Elsa's eyes widened as she felt such a need for him too, a need she'd only read about in the books- the naughtier ones that Anna had never picked up.

She realized when he retreated she was asking for more, fingers seeking to bring him down back to her. She was 21 and free do do such things, goshdarnit.

"We'll finish that when we return, Elsa." his voice was deliciously and frustratingly deep with his emotions, and she let a whisper of want escape her lips. The kiss he planted on her lips was heavy and breathy. It was over much too soon, she decided. But Jack was already gone with his staff, and she was once again alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack realized when he reached Arendelle that perhaps his haughty promise had been made too swiftly. It was blizzarding hard and the snow was unrelenting. He saw no one outside of their homes, but there was a warmth from the castle. There was a man- Hans maybe- who was passing out dinner to the villagers when Jack peered in the window. A little boy looked up and started excitedly waving to him, and Jack grinned and waved back. A warmth washed over him- he had forgotten the allure of a child's smile.

He went to the very top of the castle, resting on his toes at the very top. Yes, this would be much harder to stop than he'd originally anticipated.

But he had to fix it. Then Anna would become queen, and he and his own queen could live in their obscurity happily.

He tried everything he knew how to do. Yet, even with the control of his powers, it helped naught.

When the sky darkened, he realized he felt a little lightheaded from his attempts. He felt utterly drained and of everything, mortal. He tried to get back to Elsa's castle, but halfway there blacked out and floated down to a snow drift, where a much needed sleep stopped him entirely.

FROZEN

He awoke with a start, disoriented. Where were the walls of the castle? Where was Elsa, who always sleep later than he?

He sat up in the snow, and immediate realization of his pathetic faint returned to him full force. He was somewhat glad Elsa wasn't around to see that, or she would never let him live it down. He ran shaky fingers through his white hair and realized how attached he was to the Snow Queen. His face fell, when he remembered the inability to fix it. Maybe someone somewhere else would know, he thought, as he picked himself up. There had to be someway to stop it, and he had the ability to go anywhere in the world to find it. Elsa didn't have to worry about never finding the answer, because he'd go to the ends of the earth for her. He flew a little faster, but fell a little in surprise.

Wasn't there supposed to be their home over this mountain? Where was the castle? He dropped down, cautiously, and ice crunched under his foot. Their house lay in ruins.

"Elsa!" He yelled, fearful that maybe something had gone wrong. Maybe she was under the ice somewhere, dying, "ELSA!"

A tattered fabric caught his eye. He lifted it, and saw the fine woven material that came from certainty not Elsa.

"Oh no..." He whispered with dread. Had her people rebelled in anger about winter? Had they demanded her a trail because of her accident? Was she in danger? There was only one place that she, without a doubt, could be- back to her birth land.

He flew so fast he saw black dots and felt dizzy again, but he was determined this time to shut it out. If he hadn't been so weak the last time, he could have helped. He could have saved her. He realized with a sinking feeling that once again, it wouldn't be as easy as he thought to swoop in and save her. The castle was huge, and he couldn't morph through walls. He'd have to wait for the right opportunities of the maze of open and closed doors, but by that time it may be too late.

But then, he asked himself, if he was a wanted queen in a place that he had abandoned, would she be given lush conditions as like the time before? Probably not. Elsa was wanted for revenge about the winter that he found beauty and terrifying, just like her, but the peple didn't understand. He could only imagine his Elsa, drowning herself in self-guilt. She probably whole-heartedly believed she really was a monster now. She wasn't, though. Elsa was everything but a cold-hearted monster.

Even with the rationalization that the dungeons was the most likely place to hold a prisoner, the basement was a vast area in itself. It wasn't until he saw frost creeping out of one of the windows that he realized which one she was kept in, but even this was after hours of flying in what seemed like meaningless circles.

"That's my Elsa." He whispered, and dropped down to the window. Elsa was frantically tugging at her chains, and the whole cell was shaking from her wrath. He frosted over the windows, and they shattered like thin ice.

"Elsa..." He whispered, pressing his face as far into the cell as he could. She turned in shock.

"Jack!" His name had never sounded so beautiful, "You...you're here!"

"Elsa, what happened to you? How could you let them take you?"

"Jack, you're wrong. I'm a monster. I nearly killed two people. I deserve this." She cried. He raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you struggling to get free?" He asked. Elsa's lip quivered.

"Jack, help me. I can't get out. He'll be back soon. I have to go and find Anna- she never came back after I got mad at her. I...I...couldn't live with myself if she died out there!" She whispered, angrily yanking the chains.

"Elsa, queen, I can't get in. I can't help you. You're strong enough, though. I know it. C'mon, I'm right here when you get free." He promised, "I'm not leaving you again." Guilt racked his body, to see her helpless and trapped.

Elsa gave a cry of fury and frustration, and the shackles opened with a bang, clattering to the ground. Her hands were raw and red from where the metal had bit into her skin, and she turned to him with a odd look in her eye.

"Stand back, Frost." She warned, and he didn't need to be told twice. The sound must have alerted the whole town to her escape, but he didn't care.

"Wow. If stone chucking was a sport, you'd get first place." He commented, nodding out to a stone thrown far out onto the fjord.

"Shut up, Jack." Elsa murmured, and pulled him down to kiss her. He happily obliged, knotting his fingers in her hair.

"We should go and find...your sister." He said breathlessly after a moment, and Elsa looked like she'd been struck.

"Anna." She moaned, looking out, and suddenly sprinted away from him.

"Elsa! Don't act so dangerously! It's a blizzard out here!" He cried, flying to catch up with her.

"I created it." There was no arrogance in her voice, only truth, "It won't hurt me."

Even as she spoke, she realized she couldn't see which way she was going, and realized she was wandering blindly on the ice. "Jack, can you see?" She asked. Jack landed to walk cautiously beside her.

"No, I'm blind here." He agreed, his head snapping around to every foreign sound made. Elsa huddled close to Jack, bitting her lip.

Elsa shook her head, breaking free from Jack's body and spun around in a circle with anger seeping through her body. On her second turn around, she came face to face with the man who had started the whole trouble- Hans.

Jack watched the man with anger; he didn't trust him at all. Their words were only between the two of them- Hans looked like a cat about to get it's milk, where Elsa only looked hurt and small.

Then, all at once, the blizzard stopped as Elsa collapsed on the ground.

"Elsa!" Jack sprinted to her, and crouched down low. She was mumbling something over and over as tears escaped her eyes, crystalizing before they hit the ice.

"Anna is dead, I killed her. She's dead, she's dead..." Elsa repeated, each word hurting her more. A glint in the corner of his eye caused him to look up. Hans was raising his sword, and it was clear what he intended to do.

"You'll have to get through me!" Jack spit in his face, but he was not seen by the prince. He stood protectively in front of the trembling body of his queen, a determine look on his face. But would it work? If Hans could not see him, would his blade hurt Jack? Or would it go right through? Either way he felt no fear because the blade could not kill him. But he worried he could not protect his Elsa.

Just as the blade came down, a strangled yelp came from right beside of him, and someone invaded his airspace, like someone was walking through him. Anna? He stumbled away from where she'd taken his spot, confused. Wasn't she...dead?

The blade hit and he blinked- waiting for blood. But it never came. There was just ice where Anna once stood. But the ice looked like Anna. He blinked again. What the hell was going on?

Hans stumbled back, and fell onto the ice with a dull thud. Jack smiled; he hoped it hurt. Elsa got up, and all she saw was her sister. Her cries echoed in Jack's ears, and he looked down in a respectful mourning. It was only when Elsa's cries became somewhat surprised that he looked up. Ice Anna was no longer Ice Anna and Jack felt even more left out of what was happening. But Elsa looked so happy, and when her eyes caught his, the joy she had was unparalleled to anything he'd ever seen. He understood this was a time for family, and nodded.

"I'll be on the castle." He said with a small smile, and flew away to sit and wait for his queen. Before his eyes, the icy winter of Arendelle began to melt away, and he sighed. He doubted they'd be living alone now, after this. What queen wouldn't want to come back? Well, he figured, he could have done worse than a castle to live in.


	8. Chapter 8

12 hours after the whole debacle, Elsa found herself alone with Jack once again in her room of the house.

"So what now?" He asked her.

"I guess I'll come back." She shrugged, "I don't want to lose my sister again." Jack felt something tug deep in his heart, and in a way he didn't understand, he understood.

"And what of me?" He asked. Elsa looked at him, a look of surprise on her face.

"You're staying, right?" She asked, and looked away, feeling foolish to assume he'd stick around.

"As long as you want me to." Jack assured, taking her hand. Her smile was wide.

"Anna wants me to make Kristoff the official ice carrier of the village." Elsa commented.

"Kristoff?" Jack echoed.

"The man who saved Anna. I do suppose I owe him some thanks, but Anna is convinced herself she's in love with him. I think we all remember quite clearly what happened the last time she fell in love."

"Ah, Hans." Jack concluded, "Isn't in redundant to have him be an ice carrier when you can make ice?" He asked.

"It was his whole life, I understand Anna's trying to keep him around. But I swear to god, if she asks again for permission to marry him!" Elsa leapt up, "She doesn't understand that two weeks isn't enough time to fall in love!"

"We did." Jack responded, pulling her in so that she was pressed close against him. She blushed, and realized she was caught.

"That was different." She said weakly, "We're...the same." She pressed their fingers together, and twin frost patterns ran up the other's arms.

"Maybe they are too." Jack reasoned, "Let him stay in the castle. Give him the redundant job."

Elsa pursed her lips, "Fine." She sighed after a long moment, "But they must be together for a longer period of time before anyone gets engaged." She announced, "You don't see us rushing into a marriage."

"It's hard to get married when there are no witnesses." Jack reminded her, "Sans a few small children, but they wouldn't count anyway." Jack worried that he'd upset her, at the fact they couldn't get married, that their love was going to be difficult. Elsa just smiled.

"Jack, I don't need a certificate or a ring to know we're going to stay together." Elsa yawned, and Jack ruffled her hair.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

"Well, it is late into the night." Elsa responded, and began moving toward her warm bed. Jack stood awkwardly where she left him, "What?"

"Aren't you going to show me to my room?" He asked her, glancing around uncertainty. Elsa began changing into her night clothes, and a wicked grin came to her face.

"Well, it would be rather difficult to explain to the staff why a bedroom must be kept open at all times, even more silly to say it's for a man who they can't see. Therefore, the best option is for you to stay with me in my room." She said. Jack's mind went blank, and he opened his mouth, but only air came out.

"Unless, of course, there's a problem?" She said, turning around and letting her hair out of the braid.

"No." Jack shook himself out of his happy trance, staring at Elsa, "Not at all."

"Well them come to bed, Jack. It's late." She called him to a spot next to her, and Jack Frost didn't need to be told twice.


	9. Chapter 9

It became thus so, that Jack and Elsa were far more intimately interwoven that Kristoff and Anna. Elsa attributed this to a few reasons; firstly because she was older than her sister, and it was more appropriate for her do be doing such things; secondly, she considered herself much deeply bound to Jack than a simple marriage could say, and in this she felt like they were unofficially married; thirdly, she knew the reality of intimacy whereas her sister only knew the stories of true love, but never bothered to pick up an anatomy book and was too young for their parents to explain the big 'S'; and finally she had strategically placed Kristoff the farthest she could from Anna's room while staying in the same wing where her and Jack were sharing a bed every night. Well, she thought with a chuckle, she wouldn't want a royal embarrassment of a baby from the younger heir before she was married! She was confident her and Jack wouldn't, simply because they weren't at that point yet, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Yes, life with Jack nearly a year after meeting him was the life she'd never imagined possible for herself.

Sure, it wasn't all happy. Elsa hated the long meetings with the chair board about political things, and Jack sometimes got into trouble that Elsa had to make a hasty explanation to cover up. And Jack and her fought about silly things at times, and when they screamed, one maid thought Elsa was mad for screaming at air. Sometimes Jack left, because he had winter duties other places, and Elsa always worried about his safe-being. But other than that, life was good.

It was a year before she allowed Kristoff to ask Anna to marry her, and the next couple months of her life was filled with preparations for the wedding.

The best thing about her invisible lover, though, was when she vanished for a couple hours, no one assumed anything less than queenly to be occurring.

It was only three months after the engagement that they were married and returned from their honeymoon.

"Elsa! Guess what!" Elsa didn't have to guess, from the way that Kristoff was beaming and holding Anna protectively and Anna's small hands were curled around her stomach, "You're going to be an Aunt!"

"I'm very happy for you." She said, and she wasn't lying. Anna squealed and hugged, her and Elsa still thought that 20 was much to young to be with child, but who was she to judge?

Jack smiled at Anna from behind Elsa shoulder, and massaged her neck. When Elsa retreated back to the room, Jack cocked his head.

"Do you want kids, Elsa?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I never wanted them when I was younger, like Anna did, because I feared I'd hurt them. But now, well maybe I do." She sighed, rubbing her hands together, "And you?"

"I think so. I've always liked kids." He grinned at her, "Should we try?" He asked with waggling eyebrows. Elsa punched him lightly.

"Shut up, Jack." She said, and blushed hard, knowing fully well they hadn't gotten that far yet. Not for lack of want, that was for sure. Jack just threw his had back and laughed hard, and Elsa hit him again in an attempt to shut him up.


	10. Chapter 10

Sometimes she wished that Anna could see Jack. Her sister came up to her often in her pregnancy, with that look on her face. Elsa knew she meant well, but it always hurt a little.

"You know, there are many attractive men, if you just start looking." She would say, "Doesn't the queen want heirs." She ticked her sister, and Elsa laughed.

"Anna." She would sigh, wishing she could tell her about Jack, and how he was all she would ever need.

But how do you force someone who doesn't believe to believe? Anna was childlike, but not enough to believe in the master of snow himself. Yes, Elsa wished so much to tell her closet friend, but she could not.

FROZEN

Two years after her re-coronation, she found herself in a council meeting. Jack had begun attending, because who the hell would have guessed, but he enjoyed politics. And, Elsa enjoyed him because he could say all the things that she would not be in the right to speak of.

The council was made of representatives from neighboring kingdoms, the wealthiest merchants in the village, and old friends of her parents that had advised them in their youth. In all, it was a crowded room of about 40 people.

A stingy old man, who Elsa did not particularly like but was the richest baker in the whole land and thought himself to be so high and mighty because of his knowledge of royal issues and such, ended this particular meeting with something unexpected.

"Our queen is a mighty queen, I think we all know she is loved by everyone." He said, looking at Elsa. The congregation murmured in agreement, "But how long until we expect her to marry?" The words hit Elsa right in the heart.

"Mr. Finnes, am I not worthy to rule without a husband?" She asked icily, and Jack noticed the frosting of her desk as she leaned forward.

"But don't we want the line to continue in your family?" He asked, and to Elsa's displeasure, a couple people nodded and began agreeing with him.

"Anna had a son not long ago; if I never marry the throne would go to him, which I find to be perfectly okay." Elsa grit her teeth together, refusing to look at Jack.

"But it is not for you to stay single, m'queen!" Mr. Finnes cried, "A queen must marry. It think we've let you had your fun long enough, Elsa." He said with finality in his voice, "Possible suitors can be carried in by Friday, and then-," Elsa held up a hand to stop him.

"Did you ever think that maybe I have a suitor already?" She asked, and Jack bared his teeth.

"Yeah, Elsa's mine you old man!" He said angrily, but of course no one paid attention to him.

"You do?" Mr. Finnes said, "Well where is this invisible man?" He asked, "I don't see him."

"Of course you don't see me, you fish-lipped coot! You have no magic in your life! You wouldn't see magic even if it hit you over the head!"

Elsa just laughed, assumedly at how true his words were. "Oh, this isn't something to concern you. Just know that I am in good hands." She said, "Dismissed." Mr. Finnes looked like he wanted to argue more, but grudgingly gathered his things to leave. Elsa, per tradition, was to stay in the room until the last people had left. She turned to Jack, and rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh of air.

"They don't understand, I'm sorry." Jack winced.

"Why are you apologizing." She had mastered speaking low so that only Jack could hear, "It's not my fault they can't see you."

Elsa felt someone tapping her shoulder. She turned to see a council member she very much liked; it had been her father's nanny long ago, and she was like a grandmother to Elsa and Anna.

"Hello, Frey." She greeted the woman warmly, smiling. She noticed a group behind the old woman, and one looked around and shut the door, "What is this about?"

Frey, instead, curtsied to Elsa's left-where Jack stood, "Mr. Frost, you must be." Jack's eyes widened.

"You can see me?" He gaped, and shared twin looks of surprise with Elsa.

"We all can." Frey waved a hand to everyone behind her, who all greeted him with just as much kindness.

"Frey, I...I..." Elsa wiped a tear from her eye, "I thought only I could see him!"

"Who do you think taught your father of Jack Frost, because he taught you?" There was a glimmer in her eye. Elsa counted- out of 40 members of her council, 23 could see her Jack.

"There will always be those who believe," A young man who ran the carpet shop said, "And those who teach our children to believe."

"He must be your man," Frey giggled, "We've all watched him for months now, at your side, without fail. He is a little young I do think." She scrutinized him.

"Jack's not...well, mortal." Elsa explained with a wince, "He is suspended in this age."

"I told you!" A girl from the back called out, "Everyone pay up!"

"You're husband is handsome, I must say." Frey smiled, once again curtsying to him, "This kingdom couldn't have a more understanding King of the Queen and her powers."

Jack and Elsa shared a look, followed by a short laugh.

"We're not married." Jack said curtly, rubbing the back of his neck. A shocked ripple traveled through the crowd.

"What?" The girl who had betted on his appearance gaped.

"Well you can't very marry an invisible man with no witnesses." Elsa snapped, but only because of how awkward she felt at explaining such things.

"Well that won't do!" Frey's husband said, coming to stand by his plump wife, "That won't do at all. Now, you have more than enough witnesses." He said with a smile.

"Oh, I love royal weddings!" Someone cried from the middle.

"This is just wonderful. I have always imagined seeing both my grandchildren happily married with families of their own." Frey's eyes began to tear.

"This is all very nice and dandy," Elsa stopped the commotion, "But who will marry us?" She looked around, knowing very well there was not any religious person among the council. She attempted very much to keep the faith in the old gods and the governing of her kingdom separate things.

"Well, the priest, of course." Frey said like it was obvious, "A man who believes in the old gods will have no trouble believing in the breath of winter."


	11. Chapter 11

It was difficult for a ritual wedding, unlike Anna's. Even though the times of the old gods were in passing, with such a royal family, it was expected some of the more joyous traditions were to be upheld. Odin forbid they take out the extensive parties that last at least three days, Elsa recalled with a chuckle. But that couldn't happen for her. Her marriage would be secret. She hadn't wanted him to get her a ring, but the carpet store owner had become fast friends with Jack, and insisted.

She realized Jack's utter joy at being able to have a best friend, and 24-year-old Gavner Eklund became the best man friend any one could ever have. Days became more normal, as Jack would announce him and Gaver were doing this or doing that. Elsa didn't mind, she was finding her own friends among those that acknowledged Jack. In particular, the girl who had been doing the betting and was the representative from a place where it was always summer became a loyal companion. Beryl Holmstrom was a girl who was like Anna, but a little less romantic.

This constant friendship with Beryl put a pressure on her sisterhood with Anna. In desperation, one day, she attempted to tell Anna about Jack. Her sister just looked at her with worry in her eyes.

"Oh, Elsa." She said sorrowfully, backing up, "I fear this is just a wild imagination, come late. You never had much of a childhood, and now your mind has made him up." She said.

"Anna, he's real. Ask Frey or Beryl." She stood up, reaching for her.

"Oh, you're new best friend. I see." She said stiffly, "I think I'll believe what I want."

"That's the thing, Anna. You don't believe. You don't believe in Jack Frost, so you don't see him!" Elsa threw up her hands angrily. It had been months since she'd lost control of her ice, because Jack had so carefully taught her not to. Her sister still flinched a bit, as if she expected the room to turn to winter.

"Of course not! That was stories from dad, but you don't seen to see a difference between stories and reality, Elsa. But then again, I wouldn't expect anything different. Not with powers so unreal that even I didn't believe in it. It must be difficult for you to imagine living a normal, non-magical life, right?" Her sister's words hurt. Never before had Anna shown any animosity toward her sister's powers, but it sounded like what she said was shielded in the years that she hadn't known.

"We're a Queen and a Princess, Anna." Elsa's voice became frosty, "Our lives are anything but normal."

"I will be a princess, but I have a normal husband and a normal family started. If you really believe him to real, then an heir should be coming soon, and I'll be no longer in line." She sniffed.

"Olaf's been living with you for ages. That's not a normal part of a family." Elsa frowned.

"He and Sven get along great together." Anna said, and began backing away, "I'm going to forget you tried to tell me about an imaginary man who you're getting married to. I think I need some sleep. Yes, sleep. Goodnight, Elsa." She left with a slam to the door, and Elsa sighed. She curled up in her bed, and Jack arrived home within a couple hours. She always left the window open so that he could get inside, and his clothes were dusted with frost.

"Baby, what's the matter?" He asked, shucking his clothes down to his underwear, "Elsa, what's wrong?"

"Anna still doesn't believe." She whispered, "We had a fight."

He rubbed her back sympathetically, and sighed, "At least you have a sibling. I wish I did." He murmured.

"If my parents had been more common, maybe I'd have other siblings to go to." Elsa whispered, rolling over.

"Common?"

"My father was an only child, and he only had the two of us. It's unusual for such small families, especially for royalty.

Even though Hans was a royal pain, his family of 13 was much more expected. I don't think I'd want only two children. Because when things like this happens, then both are alone."

"Big family, then." Jack gave her a wink, "Mhhm."

"You're okay with a big family?" She asked him, turning to face him.

"Whatever you wish, my queen." He said, leaning down and nuzzling her nose.


	12. Chapter 12

It was Gavner's brilliant idea, Jack explained. "To find who believes in us!" He said excitedly, pulling his black-haired best friend forward.

"Well, I mean, it's like this. Invite every person to the castle. Make up some story of wanting to get to know your people; this will add to you being a wonderful queen. Not that you're not, you know. Anway, have each person in individually, especially the children if they're three and up. Have Jack stand in there with you. If they believe, they'll see him and either look at him or even comment. Keep a list of those who can see, and explain the situation, but warn that not everyone believe. Then, if it's a child, make them promise they'll always believe and tell the parents to teach their children Jack Frost is real." Gavner was beaming, "In a perfect world, one day we'll teach a village to believe, then everyone will see."

"That's...actually quite brilliant." Elsa admitted after a long moment of thought, "I must applaud you, Gavner. There is a reason you're on my council and I keep you." She laughed.

Anna was moved by her sister's charisma and social invitation, but they were still on difficult terms. She never saw her sister much anyway, Alfsol was now six months old and difficult to handle. She was quite sure that Anna and Kristoff's lack of presence was mostly because of their little blond-haired son.

The whole village responded enthusiastically to the invitation, overjoyed at the queen's kindness toward those who she ruled. Jack sat on a chair a little behind her, and Elsa sat with a list. It was, as she expected, many of the children that believed. She knew for a fact that Anna once believed in Jack, but as she grew up lost her faith. Jack was the one that greeted them and showed them his magic, but explained to them that they must never not believe, but to be quiet. Some of their parents didn't think he existed. What she had not been expecting, though, was the overwhelming amount of parents who gaped and gasped at the white-haired male beside their queen.

After the whole thing, Elsa sent out invitations to those that could see Jack. To keep people from being suspicious, she explained she had chosen a suitor and that it was a random lottery from the village, because she felt as a good queen, it should be more than just rich people to witness the wedding. The problem was, it still got back to Anna, who came to her, enraged.

"Is it still your imaginative husband? You're going to marry him now?" She hissed out, furious, "You're going to marry a figment of imagination."

"People see him. I'm sorry you cannot." Elsa said, feeling done with trying to explain herself to a sister that would not believe.

The wedding was to be held six months later, because her royal wedding took much preparation, and Elsa explained to those that couldn't see him that her husband was shy, and wished not to be seen. Of course, Mr. Finnes did not take it well.

"But he is marrying a queen, which means he will be a king!" He thundered, "He must be used to the public." He said decidedly. Elsa shook her head.

"If my husband be shy, then let him." She chuckled on the inside, because Jack was everything but shy.

FROZEN

Anna was mad at Elsa, once again. Elsa was beginning to feel like it was expected by now. And to be honest, her sister was just being ridiculous. She was now 21, and if she had been first born, she would be a queen. It was small miracles she was not, Elsa decided, because even though she was a mother she was not mature enough to run a kingdom.

"You're fake wedding is overshadowing the birth of my next child." She cried in her hormonal state, as she ate bread with everything from the ice-box piled on. It was nauseating to Elsa.

"Poor Anna." Elsa sighed, "Did you ever think that fake or not, this makes me happy?" Her whole life had always been worrying about Anna and her safety and her happiness. Wasn't it time for a little in return? Anna just huffed and shoved her food away, lumbering to the door in her heavily pregnant state. Elsa groaned, and Jack found her nibbling on what her sister left behind.

"What the hell is that?" He asked, scrunching his nose up in disgust.

"I don't even know. It was Anna's." She murmured, realizing how putrid it tasted.

"Ug." He made a face, "Please tell me you won't stink up our room with stuff like this when you're pregnant." He said, pulling a chair and taking a seat next to his fiancee.

"I can't believe we'll be married soon. For real." She squeezed his hand as she took it into hers, "I just wish Anna would see.." She sighed.

"Oh, well, she may." He said knowingly. She raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Alfsol is already wondering who I am. So I told him. Maybe if he just keeps insisting to his parents, they'll see."


	13. Chapter 13

The wedding was so beautiful, Elsa thought with a smile. But, of course, she was more excited for what came after. She stayed around the required and respected amount of time, as people came up to talk to her and Jack. She could tell Jack was itching to get away too, because of the way he kept looking at her.

Frey finally released them with a smile, and her husband grinned. "There will be an heir within the year." He said with a nod.

FROZEN

Her fancy wedding clothes were torn off before the door was even completely locked. She had, once a date had been set, decided to wait for the one moment, and Jack had been very understanding. Not to say it wasn't difficult for him; he'd been waiting for this night for what seemed to be his whole life.

"You're a king now." Elsa moaned against his skin in between his passionate kisses.

"You're still my queen." He ran his cold fingertips up her sides, to where her corset was laced and quickly used his nimble fingers to unlace the back. Her body was let free with a gasp of relief from herself, and she pulled him onto the bed.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered when she was fully revealed to him, for the first time. She blushed and tried to hide herself with her arms, but he pulled them away, "Don't hide from me. You have no reason."

"Are you just going to talk to me all night, Jack?" She asked with a rush of confidence, as she slowly pulled her fingertips all over his pale skin.

"'Course not." He leaned down, sucking on the sensitive skin at the junction of his neck, and Elsa let out the most delightful noise.

"You tease." She challenged, but even as she spoke, she was tracing her fingers at the edge of his underpants. He gave her a haughty smile.

"It's what I do best." He agreed.

"Quiet you." She announced, and pulled him down to her, "But Odin, I love you."

FROZEN

Jack woke up the day after their wedding in such a bliss that he thought that his frost powers wouldn't work he was so warm and sunny. Elsa's hair was such a mess, and in such, he felt proud that he was the main reason for that.

A note was slipped under the door, and Jack read it with a chuckle. During the wedding festivities, yesterday, Anna's daughter was born. The queen's sister must be livid. He could imagine her stomping around, in her state of anger at her sister and her 'fake' husband who had just rocked Elsa's world last night, upset that the birth of her precious daughter was overshadowed. Jack new Anna to be a good person, but he would understand the feelings she was experiencing about believing her sister was completely mental. He didn't blame her much. But of course, Alfsol was creating a bond with his uncle, and therefore his mother would one day have to believe. Jack was confident.

He went back to the bed, buck naked, and sat down where he'd woken. The movement disturbed the queen who made a noise of content. She woke up, blinking at him.

"Well, you look pleased." She commented with a smile, tugging the sheets over her exposed figure. He sunk back under the blankets, pulling their bodies together, flesh against flesh.

"Are you not?" He asked.

"Of course I am. I've never been happier." She assured, and smirked, "Someone's ready for a repeat of last night." She observed.

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting to take you since I met you." He admitted, "But I've been a good boy, waiting three years. Three years of pent-up sexual frustration, m'lady."

Elsa chuckled, "Oh, poor you." She said with faux sympathy. Jack flipped her onto his back, and Elsa gave a shriek of laughter. Jack gave a moan.

"Odin, Elsa, you don't know what you do to me." He whispered in a throaty voice.

"Are you mad? Do you not see what you do to me in return?" She asked foxishly, moving with his sexual advances.

Jack looked at the locked door with a grin, "Well, thank Odin it's our honeymoon and we're not expected back to our regular duties for a whole week. Because except when you have to go to the bathroom, I'm never letting you out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NAME MEANING:  
> Alfsol (Norse)- Meaning Elf Sun. Pronounced ALHF-sol.  
> Note; when I was originally looking up names, I guess I didn't notice this was a girl norse name...i'm pretty sure I had it set under the 'male' settings on my name website, but oh well. It seems like a boy's name to me anyway. And i think Anna would also be the type of person to make a girl name be a boy's name. You know, new trends and all.  
> Her daughter's name I think appears in the next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

It was three months, give or take, since Elsa was a married woman. Elsa Frost- the name that was only whispered among the believers. Everyone else had no idea what her surname was. Some people thought the secrecy was bad, some thought it was a challenge and added excitement to the life of Arendelle.  
Elsa strode into the council room, and sat like usual, but there was joy bubbling inside of her. She couldn't wait for the meeting to start.  
The head accountant would do his usual talk first; about the finances and economic issues. If any merchant had anything to say about the business, good or bad, of their shop that was in relation to it effecting the community as a whole, they would speak. The military leader, who luckily saw little action, usually had not much on threats to say. Then the representatives from the trading worlds would talk about this and that, before it was finally given over to the general council for any complains or comments that were not already covered, or any issues that it was decided previously to be decided then. When it came time, Elsa stood.  
"I have some news." Rarely did Elsa say such things, so everyone was apt with attention. She nervously fingered the ring she wore on a chain beneath her robes, and it reminded her to smile, "I am with child."  
There was a wave of applause from most everyone, especially those who she saw as friends, and Gavner (who'd she put closest to her most recently) smirked.  
"Finally! I was beginning to think he didn't know what to do." He said with a wink, and Elsa ignored him.  
"Wait, wait, wait," A gruff voice called. Elsa didn't have to look to know who said it. Hell, it could have been written and she would have known who would object. Finnes.  
"Yes?" She summoned her regal power and raised an eyebrow.  
"They say you're married, but I've never seen the guy, and now you're pregnant with his child? This is unheard of! If I didn't know better, I'd say you're running around like a common person, dirtying yourself with such lewd acts." He spat out, and there were gasps.  
Elsa's grip on the table she took notes on. He'd had compared her to a night walker, those who were unmarried and often pregnant from scandalous acts without a marriage. Jack was not in attendance- he was off doing his winter magic, and Elsa was glad. If he were here, she didn't know what he would have done. Besides, she could handle this herself.  
"You are dismissed from the council, Finnes." She said with a dry drawl, "Until there is magic in your life."  
"What? Until there's magic in my life? What sort of ridiculous call is that? Maybe your sister is right, and there is something wrong with you." Elsa felt her heart drop. Was her sister spreading rumors about her? Was Anna so childish?  
"Yes, magic." Elsa closed her eyes, and tried not to laugh in spite of it all. Coincidentally, his two grown daughters and five grandchildren all saw Jack. His wife was deceased, but she had a hunch the missis would have as well, "You've lost something to your life. I know you, Mr. Finnes. Always working. I'm telling you to take a holiday. Spend time with your daughters, play with your grandchildren and don't tell yourself anything is impossible. When you realize what I mean, come back and tell me. Then, I will happily welcome you back." She said. Finnes stood, looking unsure. Most were confused by her command, trying desperately to make the connection between calling Elsa a whore and the idea of lost magic, but too timid to speak out. Those who knew, however, were sure that Elsa would welcome him back when he was able to see her King.  
FROZEN  
Elsa, feeling invigorated and proud of herself for handling the situation so calmly, waited for Jack to return. He didn't know that she was pregnant. It was the best surprise for him yet.  
He returned with snow falling from his jacket, and kissed his wife with a grin. "Well, it's officially winter over in England." He announced.  
"Jack!" She hugged him, and he laughed.  
"If I always got such a warm welcome, I would leave more often." He joked, and kissed her head.  
"Oh, I've got news, Jack!" Elsa was dancing around like a child, and Jack frowned.  
"What?"  
"I'm pregnant!"  
Jack was speechless for a moment. Elsa worried that all he'd ever said about wanting children was just a cover, and her excitement started to fade. Until, of course, he picked her up and swung her around.  
"I'm going to be a dad!" He said, "I didn't know if it was possible!"  
"Well why not?" Elsa asked, struggling from his grip.  
"Well, you know I'm a winter spirit, emphasis on spirit, but I'm so palpable with you, and yeah clearly down there still works, but hell I wasn't sure! Thank Odin, thank you!" He pulled up her robes, pressing his cold hands against her stomach, "Do you think our child be like us?" He asked, looking up. Elsa put her own hands on his.  
"We'll just have to wait, won't we?" She asked with a warm smile, "You'll make a wonderful father." She decided.


	15. Chapter 15

Jack was the kind of person that Elsa expected him to be when she was pregnant. Always wondering how he could make her life easier, surprising her with late night ice-cream when she was all confused with her emotions, and staying surprisingly chipper even when she got unreasonably upset with him.

"You make it easy," He argued when she brought it up one day, "I mean, Anna's great. People love her, and she's a good mother. But, she's a monster when she's pregnant. I don't know. If I were Kristoff, I'd say the heck away from that bomb waiting to be put off. Life is miserable on her wing when she's pregnant, so I don't know why Kristoff keeps making her so." He pointed out.

"Anna wants a big family too, and Kristoff is so in love, he'll keep giving her that. And if he couldn't handle it, he would be long gone." Elsa sighed, as Jack rubbed her feet in their room.

"Still. You're happier even." He said.

"I'm just excited to meet this kid." She rubbed her stomach.

FROZEN

Jack was unprepared for the wrath that was Elsa in labour. Not long after their wedding, Elsa and Jack had employed only those that believed to be under their jurisdiction. Anna could have those who thought him to be silly children bed stories. She woke up, and grabbed Jack's hand with such force that he awoke in pain.

"Odin, Elsa. Let go!" He groaned, grumpy to be woken up, but then noticed her face, "Oh..." He put two and two together.

"Get the midwife." She growled in a threatening voice, and Jack leapt up, almost forgetting to put on more suitable clothes than what he usually slept in. He had noticed that after four years, he now had the ability to open any and every door or pick up anything, even when Elsa was no where around him.

His footsteps still made no noise as he hurried through the darkened halls, and pounded on the door of the midwife. She was up in an instant, and Jack didn't need to say anything. Good thing too, because half-real words were slurring from his lips.

The midwife stopped Jack at the door to his room. "You're not allowed in unless she asks. But that may be a while. I'd go and get some food, because you're not needed." The heavy door was slammed in his face, and he continued murmuring incomprehensible things. He opened a window, summoning his staff and decided to fly around. His flight led him to Gavner's house. He stood at the window of his best mate's window, until Gavner woke with a start.

"Hell, Jack." He opened the latch to the window, letting him in with a shush, pointing to his sleeping wife and newborn son Kai, motioning for them to come downstairs. He pulled out some ale, and slid it across the wood table, "Labor?" He guessed.

"I'm not allowed in with her." He growled sourly. Gavner winced.

"Take it from me, you don't want to be. It's full of heat, blood, screaming, and things guys will never understand." Gavner assured him, taking a long drink.

"What if something goes wrong?" Jack asked, "What if she needs me?" He asked.

"Jack, what could you do that the best of the best couldn't? She's our queen, no one would let her die." He said, and from the frown, he knew he'd made a good point to Jack. He frowned deeply, mumbling and just drank his ale. It was four AM and Kai began crying, which is when Gavner excused himself.

"It won't be born, but maybe she'll be asking for you. Let me know when we have the heir. I want to be one of the first to meet the little person." He said, clasping Jack on the shoulder. Jack sighed, and nodded, flying back to the castle. He slid down outside the door of his room, but it was still another hour before the midwife came out.

"If you really want to be in here, it's expected it won't be long now." She sighed, wiping her hands.

Jack scrambled to his feet, rushing inside. He looked at Elsa. "Hey beautiful." He greeted.

"Shut. Up." She hissed, and Jack stopped, "I'm not beautiful, and I'm cutting off your balls for this Jack. Odin, you're never touching me again." She promised, and a couple of the women in the room chuckled.

"Uh..." Jack approached with caution, and stood by her.

"It's nearly time." The head midwife announced, and Elsa gasped in pain, grabbing his hand with the same strength that had woken him, and Jack gaped.

"You think that hurts?" Elsa cried, "Try shoving a ten pound rock out your ass, and then we'll talk about pain!" Jack winced at the mental image, and shook his head.

"Duly noted. I'll keep my sounds of pain to a minimum, then."

"Oh, I see the head!" Jack perked up at that, and strained to see what the midwife saw. Elsa tugged him back, and he realized he'd see the kid soon enough. He stayed obediently at Elsa's side, letting her break a finger which was treated swiftly, for another half hour before there was a cry and Elsa fell back with a sigh of exhaustion. The midwife waddled the child swiftly, and someone began washing it off while another took notes on the health. It seemed like an eternity before the babe was put in Elsa's arms.

"It's a boy!" The midwife clapped her hands together with glee, and Elsa smiled.

"A son. I knew it; he kicked with so much force it had to be." Elsa turned the baby so Jack could see, "Do you want to hold him?" She asked. Jack was rendered unable to talk. His hands shook as he gently picked up his son, and inhaled sharply.

"Elsa! Elsa, look! He has white hair!" He said excitedly, wondering if he had a son like him and Elsa, but she just nodded and closed her eyes.

"If you wish to continue holding him, good. But the queen is very tired. Best to let her sleep." The midwife said, and Jack nodded. He sat on the bed next to Elsa, who was already asleep, and realized he'd never been happier.


	16. Chapter 16

"Elsa! Elsa, come here! Quickly!" Jack's cries made Elsa hurry across the courtyard.

"Is Heimdall hurt? Did he fall?" She fretted, bending down to look at her two-year-old son.

"No! Look! Frost!" Jack pointed excitedly to where his pudgy hands had left icy hand-prints in the summer mud, "He's like us!" Elsa, although pleased by this discovery, hit Jack.

"Don't scare me! It thought you had hurt him!" She said, and Jack sighed.

"Sorry, dear." He winced, "I was just so happy. I knew it, the white hair is the sign." He insisted.

"There's only three to go by that theory." Elsa rolled her eyes, "But yes, it is interesting." She picked up their son and kissed all over his face, causing him to squeal with delight. She ruffled his unruly white locks, and looked into his chocolate brown eyes.

He turned toward his father and smiled again, and Jack let out a contented sigh. It was never really answered how Heimdall could see his father- how do you believe in something when you don't know even how to believe in the first place?

"Your blood," Gavner threw out one day.

"Your love," Elsa decided one night, running her fingers through her husband's hair. Jack sighed and rolled over with a sigh. It didn't really matter to him. Heimdall slept between his parents, and Jack's fingers traced over Elsa's swollen stomach.

"I hope it's another boy." He said, tracing his fingers to make little frost patters.

"Odin, no." Elsa moaned, "Your son is already a handful enough as it is."

"He's half yours, Elsa." Jack pointed out cheekily. She raised an eyebrow.

"Only when he's sleeping quietly. Right now, he is mine. When he wakes up, he's yours. A girl won't be as loud as he was. Anna and I were nice little girls." She insisted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heimdall (HEIM-dahl): Norse. Means 'The White God'. Mythology tidbit: In the Norse Mythology Heimdall was the son of Odin and his duty was to guard the rainbow bridge, Bifrost. Heimdall disguised himself and had affairs with three mortal women.  
> But that is no indication for how this little guy will turn out. You'll see what I mean later ;)


	17. Chapter 17

I told you!" Elsa announced triumphantly, "Not only is it a girl, but already she is much quieter than Heimdall ever was."

"Hey, that's not a fair assumption." Jack argued in response, "She's only been here for six hours."

"Well, Heimdall was here half an hour before he started crying. She's winning." Elsa said with a wink.

"Oh, be quiet you." Jack rolled his eyes, and hoisted his son up to see his sister, "Hey, look at your sister. This is Rin. Can you say Rin?" He asked.

Heimdall looked at his father with confusion in his eyes. "Papa?" He asked. Jack grinned; it was his favorite word. 'Mama' was only screamed when he wanted something.

"Yes, very good, I am your papa. But can you say Rin?" He asked again.

"In." Heimmdall repeated. Jack smiled, laughing.

"Close enough, kid." He said. He turned to his queen, "I think she's like us again. White hair." He stressed.

"We'll just have to see. It took Heimdall two years, don't you remember, so I think that we'll see her powers, if she has any, for quite some time." Elsa said, rocking her bassinet gently with her foot. Heimdall reached out for his mother, and Elsa took him with grace. Jack stuck his hands in his pockets, and turned in a circle.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked her, feeling like he wasn't doing much with Elsa trying to handle a son who loved to tug at her braids while simultaneously rocking a newborn.

"Some tea would be lovely." Elsa said, trying to sound calm, but the last word was muttered through gritted teeth as it was.

"Right." Jack stepped out, but popped his head back in, "Uh? What kind?" He asked.

"Anything, Jack." She growled.

"Right, right. Off to get tea." He raised his hands in a 'i'm sorry sort of way.' The halls were dark- Elsa was on an odd schedule with the birth and all. The light to the kitchens was already on, and there was some rustling from behind the door.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, swinging the door open. He assumed it was a maid or servant, maybe getting a late night snack. Or maybe it was the midwife beating him to the tea. But it wasn't any of those...it was...Kristoff. He didn't expect an answer, after that, because Kristoff didn't believe. To his utter surprise, Kristoff sighed, without turning and continued to look. His voice was sluggish with sleep.

"The Pregnant Princess wants sardines, but there's no sardines in our kitchen. And instead of waiting like a normal person, she wants them at two AM." He mumbled, dragging a hand down his face as he turned to look at Jack.

Kristoff seemed to wake a little, because he jolted a bit.

"Who are you?" He asked, squinting hard in the dim light, "Are you supposed to be in here? I've never seen a kid like you around. I think..." He was tilting his head in a very un-flattering fashion.

Jack decided to be brash in this moment, wondering himself if he was dreaming. He stepped fully into the light, making Kristoff take a couple steps back.

"I would say I have every right being here, being the King and all." Jack replied, trying to act cool as he leaned close into the Norse man's face.

Kristoff blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"The King? Elsa...the invisible guy...huh?" Kristoff was desperately trying to push two and two together, but to no avail. He finally just examined Jack, "Aren't you a bit young to be married to a queen? What are you...fifteen?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you my age. But oh, where are my manners. Sorry, I'm Jack Frost. And you're Kristoff." He said, reaching out his hand.

"That's a unfortunate name. Like the kid in the stories my dad used to read. I just read one to Alfsol actually...he..." He yawned again, and blinked away sleep, "He insisted to read that one." He said.

"I've heard that many times." Jack rolled his eyes. He strode past Kristoff, and went to the ice-box. The little box of sardines was placed squarely in the big hands of the man, "Pleased to finally make your aquantinance. Now, get back to Anna before she bites your head off." He advised. Kristoff stumbled around a bit, knocking into a table, before nodding.

"Yeah, Anna." He suddenly remembered. As he left, he gave an uneasy nod. As Jack sat and took out the tea leaves, he shrugged to himself. If Kristoff only thought it to be a wild dream, then let him. For one night, his technical brother-in-law saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff sees! The power of children is impressive.  
> Also, I think I never formally introduced Anna's second child. Here's her name stuff:
> 
> Eloise (ay-lo-EZE): French/Germanic. Means 'sun' in french. Eloise was imported to England by the Normans in the Middle Ages, and has remained in use ever since.
> 
> Here's Jack/Elsa's second child info:
> 
> Rin (REEN): Japanese. Means 'cold' in Japanese. The Japanese name Rin may be written with the character for "cold".


	18. Chapter 18

But it wasn't just one night. Kristoff always saw Jack after that. He stared at the kid with the same expression for a month after that night, until Jack finally pulled him aside to explain everything.

"I don't believe in that stuff." Kristoff insisted, but Jack only raised an eyebrow.

"If you truly didn't, you wouldn't be able to see me." Kristoff frowned.

"If you didn't have two kids with the queen that look exactly like you, I wouldn't believe it." He grumbled.

"Really? Just like me? I'm not sure- Elsa thinks that Heimdall looked like her as a baby. I don't know what I looked like, but I'm assuming quite handsome." He said. Kristoff just grunted and rolled his eyes.

He didn't ever tell Anna about his discovery, but Anna didn't notice that he no longer agreed with her about how crazy Elsa was or how insane the town was for believing it. "I don't know why she just won't come out and introduce the guy- clearly she's had two kids with him!"

Kristoff quietly slurped his soup. He wished Anna and Elsa would make up.

The first start of the bridge appeared after the birth of their third child. Anna shrieked when she was born and washed off.

"It's like Elsa," Anna sobbed, "I don't know how to to control this?" She cried into Kristoff's chest.

"With love." He reminded his wife, who was dramatic at the worst of times, but still the eighteen year old set on finding her sister.

"I don't...I just...look at her hair." Anna blubbered.

"I like it." Kristoff picked her up. Sven came over and licked the babe's head, "And Sven does too."

"It matches my complexion perfectly." Olaf added, and Anna cracked a smile. Kristoff held out the baby with snow-white hair to Anna.

"You have to go to your sister. She can help you with her." He said. Anna twisted her mouth to a frown.

"I know!" She hissed angrily. It had been comfortable avoiding Elsa, like before she knew. She wasn't sure if she should be the ones making the first moves this time. But what else could she do? She was unprepared for a frost daughter like Elsa's children.

She knocked nervously on Elsa's door not soon after, her daughter in her arm. Elsa answered, and a look of surprise crossed her face. She looked back at where Heimdall and Jack sat, but she knew Anna would only see her eldest son on the grand chair.

"Aunt Anna!" Heimdall cried, throwing his hands up in joy.

"Anna...what are you doing here?" Elsa asked, caution in her words.

"Elsa...help me." Anna revealed her new-born to her sister, and Elsa gave a sharp intake of breath.

"Help with what?" She asked.

"Is she like you? Does she have powers?" She asked desperately.

"Well, white hair isn't...I mean...yes, both my white-haired children have powers and your two other haired children don't, but it's just guessing." She stuttered, looking back at Jack. He gave her a 'I told you so' sort of look.

"Elsa, I don't know how to deal with a child like you. I need your help. I don't want her hurting herself." She murmured.

"I'll help." Elsa sighed, "But there's nothing to be done tonight. Chances are, she won't show her powers for a year or more. When she does, then come and get me." She said.

"Oh, Elsa!" Anna forgot herself for a moment, and reached in to enthusiastically embrace her sister. Elsa's stiffness brought her back. She retreated, shuffling her feet and nodded.

"Well, I suppose, thank you." She said, and closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anna's daughter is named Xanthe. Here's that name stuff!
> 
> Xanthe (KSAN-thee): Greek. Means yellow. This name comes from the feminine form of the Greek adjective 'xanthos' (yellow). It is used occassionally in English-speaking countries but remains rare. And look! She has white hairs!


	19. Chapter 19

"Well, you've done it this time." Elsa came in and hit Jack on the shoulder.

"Ow!" He complained.

"I'm pregnant again." She threw her hands up. Jack coughed into his hand.

"Well..." He winced, "It was becoming obvious. The food...the slight, very SLIGHT, weight..." He was dying here, he realized.

"The doctor says I'm about 4 months in. This one is smaller than the others, which is why I didn't notice sooner." Elsa licked her lips in thought, and counted on her fingers, "Which means you hardly let me have more than two months of not carrying another one of your spawn around!" She hissed.

"You wanted more." Jack poked her arm, "And If I remember I wasn't the one clawing at my back, pulling me down against my better judgement, just begging me to fu-,"

"That's enough of that." Elsa began to blush hard, something that he was still proud he could do to her after all these years, "And besides," She quipped, "Those are just technicalities."  
**********************

Jack watched Heimdall and Alfsol play together in the snow. They threw up the flurries and laughed. Heimdall used the magic in the little way he could to entertain his favorite cousin. Even with a two year age difference, the two were very close.

"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack help Heimdall make a big hill to slide down!" Alfsol cried, tugging frantically on the sleeve of his uncle. His mother assumed that Elsa was watching her oldest son whenever she needed him babysat, which was mostly true. But Elsa was with Rin today somewhere calming before their next child came. It was harmless, really. Alfsol saw him from the beginning.

The kid was a little bit brilliant, Jack decided. His nephew, even at the age of five, had the perception to realize his mother's attitude toward his Uncle, so always excluded him when talking about his time down at the other side of the castle.

"Okay, okay. Let me get up." He raised his hands in defeat and grinned. Heimdall sat bouncing with anticipation on the little toboggan, and Jack moved his hands up to make a great wall of snow.

"Oh, it's so big!" Alfsol cried, "Come on Dally, let's go!" He tugged the sled, while his cousin sat clapping his hands.

Jack sat back down, watching them out of the corner of his eye. He'd heard the stories of how Elsa hurt her sister when she was younger, but he was confident that Heimdall would not be so dangerous. Elsa's parents hand't understood, but both of his parents did. His magic was taught to be something gifted, something utterly magical, that he should never be ashamed of. Since then, any snow his son created had only been with confidence and happiness.

It was the way he knew they had to teach Xanthe to sooth the Princess' worries. She thought that it was uncontrollable. Snow was, at it's root. It was dangerous. But it was also breath-taking and beautiful. He gnawed on his lip. He hoped Anna could get over her own fear and see her daughter as the latter, something beautiful.

When Alfsol began to shiver, he knew it was time to bring them in. Heimdall could stay forever outside in the snow and not be bothered a bit, like his parents, but his cousin was not as fortunate.

"Alright, let's go in." He called across the yard. Alfsol complained with Heimdall, putting up a brave front, but Jack saw the small boy's teeth beginning to chatter.

He ran at them with a roar, picking them both up by their legs and swinging them over each shoulder. "I'm a big scary snow monster!" He said. The boys hit his back all the way to the kitchen, where there was a puddle of snow left in their wake.

He sat them down on chairs, and made them milky hot chocolate.

"I have a mustache." Alfosl announced, "Just like dad!" He pointed to where the chocolate had become a drippy line of facial hair, "Why don't you have one?" He asked, pointing at Jack's face. Jack shrugged, rubbing his smooth skin.

"Well, I think I look better without it." He said, lying. Truthfully, he couldn't grow one if he tried.

"You always look the same. Auntie Elsa grows up, but you look the same. I want to be like you." He said, "I don't want to grow up." He decided. Jack gave a soft frown.

"You don't want to be like me, kid." He shook his head, "I'm...well..." He struggled to find the right words, "Just drink your hot chocolate, kid." He finally finished.

Jack walked Alfsol back to his wing of the castle, when his mother would be waiting. He was just about to leave when Alfsol grabbed his leg.

"What?" He asked, turning and crouching low. Alfsol gave him a hug.

"I love you Uncle Jack." He said. Jack smiled, and hugged his nephew.

"I love you too."

Jack hardly registered the door opening until Anna's disturbed voice made Alfsol pull away. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Hugging Uncle Jack!" Alfsol said happily, and then frowned, "Wait...I'm not supposed to talk about him." He realized too late. Anna looked around, and seeing no one, grabbed Alfsol by his collar and pulled him inside.

"Whose Uncle Jack?" She demanded.

"Elsa's husband. The King. Heimdall's dad." Alfsol shuffled his feet, throwing out words with the hopes she would understand.

"I didn't see anyone." She sat, tapping her foot angrily.

"Jack said you wouldn't see him." He said with a childish shrug. Anna narrowed her eyes.

"He did, didn't he?" She asked dryly, and her son nodded. "Baby, this person isn't real. I've never seen him, and don't you think I know everything?" She asked, crouching down.

"You don't know about Uncle Jack." He said firmly. Anna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, you tell that to your father when he comes home and we'll see what he says. Imaginary uncles indeed!"

Kristoff arrived home to find his eldest son sitting in a chair facing the wall, not at all looking ashamed. He looked at his wife with a rueful smile. "Was it your grandmother's vase again?" He asked, but was surprised to find the much repaired vase still sitting crookedly on it's pedestal.

"He's making up things like Elsa." Anna growled, "Kristoff, tell him he's just making it up and he needs to stop." Kristoff sighed and turned his son's chair around.

"He's real dad." Alfsol said in a small voice, "Uncle Jack is real."

Kristoff recalled that night so long ago in the kitchen where Jack Frost had appeared before his eyes. He hadn't believed it either. But since that night, he'd become friends with Jack. Jack was a good man and a wonderful father. Tonight was the night he couldn't agree with his wife.

"Ah, he is?" He asked knowingly, "And...what does he look like?" Anna gave a frustrated huff.

"He's skinny. He doesn't have a mustache like you do. Really pale skin. White hair. Really clear eyes." Alfsol said slowly, fearing his father to yell at him like mom would.

"Oh, yes, yes." Kristoff agreed, "And...can he do magic?" He asked.

"The best kind. He made us a snow-hill today!" Alfsol's eyes lit up at the memory, and his mother came between her son and husband.

"This isn't getting him anywhere. You're just encouraging him!" She was on the brink of tears, "Honey...please..."

He took his wife's small hands, holding them in his own. He wasn't sure how to start. He looked at his son once again. "What's Jack's full name?" He asked. Alfsol thought for a moment.

"Well, Heimdall's last name is Frost. Jack Frost." He deduced. Anna sputtered.

Kristoff leaned in, "Did your father ever tell you about Jack Frost?" He asked Anna.

"Well of course. He was Elsa's favorite in the picture book."

"Did you believe him?" He asked. Anna backed way.

"For a bit. When I was a child. A child," She repeated, "Oh no...not you too." Kristoff stood.

"Babe, I know it sounds crazy, but we have a talking snowman in our house. Your sister can shoot ice from her hands. My family are rocks that turn into trolls. Is it really so hard to believe in Jack Frost?" He asked.

"He's just an expression!" Anna tugged at her braids, "When did you cross over to the dark side."

"After I read Alfsol his story and he looked at me and told me that he believed in Jack with his whole heart. I...I remember being a child, and Pappi telling me about him. I remember him telling me that what we think we see is just an illusion. Then, I went to get you sardines, and I ran into him in the kitchen." He said with a laugh.

"Mom, come with me." Alfsol said with a determined look on his face, and tugged his mom all the way across the castle. After a bit of searching, he found his Uncle having dinner with Heimdall in the library.

"Alfsol? Kristoff?" Jack titled his head in surprise, and then saw who was on the men's tail.

"Mom, he's sitting right there!" Alfsol cried, pointing to the lounge couch next to the books on fantasy.

"You can't believe that a three-year-old got himself food and climbed on here by himself, do you?" Kristoff used motherly reason, and Anna seemed caught. She tried to turn and go, but her husband stopped her.

"Anna, listen to me. When I first met you, you would do anything for your sister. Even when she wanted to shut you out, you never stopped trying to get in. She was your world. Don't you trust her? Maybe you've become estranged, but remember what it was like before." Kristoff said, "Can't you try, for her?" He asked.

"I...what am I trying?" She asked. Kristoff turned her around and pointed her in the direction of where Jack sat.

"Close your eyes and imagine him like Alfsol described him and how he was in the books. Make yourself believe. Say it- I believe in Jack Frost."

Anna closed her eyes and said it a couple times, and wasn't surprised when she opened her eyes and saw nothing there, just like before. Alfsol hugged her.

"Mom, you're not saying it like you believe! Mom, you have to believe!" He said, and Anna looked into his eyes and realized how much he saw or thought he saw. She made an effort to close her eyes, and recall the magic she felt repressed deep in the chambers of her heart. Her eyes exploded with memories of her playing with Elsa in the snow, but in their grand ballroom. Everything she'd imagined they'd done outside like two normal children was not so- it was Elsa. Her heart fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

And low and behold, there was a man sitting in the place where there hadn't been before. He stood, brushing the crumbs away and walking up to her, grinning.

"Hello, Anna. I'm you're brother-in-law, Jack Frost."

"Oh, Odin, he's real..." Anna whispered and swayed and promptly collapsed on the floor. Alfsol went up and nudged his mother.

"Mom it's rude to sleep when you meet new people!" He said angrily. Kristoff shrugged when Jack looked at him.

"I expected her to scream."


	20. Chapter 20

The labors never got easier, Jack decided. If anything, her third was worst than all the others. Like the previous two, he woke Gavner up by tapping on the window and the two shared some good ale together before he returned. He needed to be a little numbed to handle Elsa breaking his hands.

"There's something different." She said when he was let in, "I can feel it in my body."

"Maybe it will be a cat." Jack said with a laugh and Elsa glared at him.

"No, Jack."

Jack edged around to see the head, and a little part of his heart plummeted. "I think I know...the hair isn't white." He murmured.

"So?" Elsa was tired of keeping optimistic that the hair wasn't the give-away, but at this point it seemed too reasonable to not believe it, "I can handle a normal child, Jack." But even as she spoke, she was fearful. Jack understood.

They never had to worry about their children getting cold or forgetting to call them in when they played outside. They didn't fret if the icicle would hurt them, or if the ice would be too slippery. Growing up with all they ever knew to be snow and ice must have been similar to how Elsa's parents felt when she was born.

He also worried about her feeling left out. Sure, she had Alfsol and Eloise but those were cousins, not siblings. Would her two older siblings leave his newest daughter out of their games because she wasn't like them, he thought as he looked at her. Just when he thought parenthood was easy...

"She looks like Anna." Elsa said with a smile. Anna had been coming around a lot more, and Elsa grinned whenever her sister was back with her. She now knew that both Kristoff and Anna could see her husband, but there was still an ever-present gaping something that she couldn't seem to fix between the two of them.

"Same hair, same eyes." Jack agreed. Elsa called over a maid.

"Can you go and find Anna?" She asked, and the maid dipped her head in submission.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked after they were alone, nuzzling his nose into her neck. Elsa leaned in, turning to kiss his nose.

"I want my sister back." She replied simply, and Jack didn't understand. Anna appeared a moment later, and saw the swaddled baby.

"It doesn't have white hair...is it not..." She began hesitantly.

"I believe so." Elsa said simply. Anna chuckled, sitting down.

"Oh, Elsa. Now you have to deal with normal child problems." She said jokingly, words that at a time before may have been said sarcastically.

"Yes, I don't know how you manage." Elsa agreed, "Do you want to hold her?" She asked.

"Of course." Anna smiled, and Jack handed her over. Anna's eyes still buzzed a bit around Jack, and she gave a noise like she just couldn't believe what she was looking at, but she was civil- and that was very much appreciated.

"She looks like you." Elsa leaned over and uncovered her face, "Which is why I want you to be her godmother." She said.

"Elsa, we haven't done those sorts of things in forever." Anna laughed a bit, "My children don't have any godparents."

"I know. But I...I don't know what it's going to be like raising a child without powers like you don't know what it's like raising one with them. So...I need you Anna. I need you to be the other mother in her life that understands her in a way I can't." Jack thought Elsa was supremely mature in this moment, and kissed her shoulder in a silent agreement.

Anna's eyes glistened with tears.

"Elsa, I've missed you around." She admitted. And Jack understood in that moment; the bridge that once stretched over seas was gone. Elsa had a sister again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Everything is fixed and all is good with the sisters. They aren't mad at each other (it only took half a decade...lol).
> 
> And a new Frost child is born. Here's her name stuffies:
> 
> Eira (Eye-Rah): In Welsh, it means snow. In greek it means help or mercy. Eira is the Welsh word for snow, and its pronunciation is akin to OY-rah.
> 
> Eira (EYE rah) is also a Scandinavian place name, from the Norse Goddess Eir, the Goddess of medecine and healing. By Norse tradition, only women practiced the healing arts.  
> Eira is a district in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
> 
> I imagine Eira being like Anna's little doppleganger. And I don't know, her name reminded me of Anna.


	21. Chapter 21

"Queen Elsa, there is someone waiting to see you." An attendant knocked respectfully on the door of her study. Elsa sighed, looking up.

"They don't have an appointment, do they?" She asked, wondering if she'd skipped a part where someone was supposed to see her. Maybe she had. She'd been a bit frazzled lately.

"No, I don't believe so."

Elsa pursed her lips. Currently she was writing an angry letter to the neighboring kingdom where they got their textiles from. A shipment had just simply never arrived, even though it was supposed to be here weeks ago! With the wind chilling, she knew her people needed more fabric for warm clothes. Still, any interruption from it would be pleasing so she waved her hand.

"Send them in, I suppose."

The man that burst in was grinning wide. He was an old man, as far as she could tell. Deep wrinkles lined his face, and he had a thick and manly beard. His arms were like tree-trunks, and there was an eternal twinkle in his eyes.

"Queen Elsa!" He bowed respectfully, and looked at her.

She hesitated. "Sir..." She waited. His smile was a thousand watts.

"Ah, you do not recognize me either." He said. Elsa was a little shocked; she thought she knew everyone in the village at least by face, if not name. But he...he was defiantly from around here, but yet Elsa did not know him. Elsa was in the process of scrutinizing him and trying to figure out how she knew him when Jack burst in.

"Elsa!" He scurried over to the desk, paying no attention to the man standing, "Elsa, uh..." He looked bashful, and rubbed his neck, "I just wanted to let you know...Heimdall has a cut on his face." This caught Elsa's attention, if just for a moment. Her eyes widened.

"It's uh, not a big scar...but uh...you know...not what some may call 'small' either but what is small really?" He began to laugh nervously, and Elsa gave him the stone-cold glare, and he sobered, "Okay, I just wanted to let you know that it didn't happen on my watch. This one is not my fault." He threw up a finger pridefully. Elsa was not amused.

The man gasped, and nearly dropped to the floor. "King Jack!" He wheezed out. Jack turned, one hand still on the desk, the other still pointing in the air.

"Whose this, Elsa?" He asked, turning his head. Elsa stared at him, and a wave of surprise washed over her.

"Jack...you remember Mr. Finnes...don't you?" She realized and Jack jumped away.

"What?" He gaped, "The man you kicked off the council?"

"Jack, hush." Elsa snapped, and stood up.

"No, no!" The man got up, swiftly, "I have to thank you for that." It was Elsa's turn to look shocked.

"W...wait. What?" She came to help the man to a standing position.

"Let me explain." He put his hands up, waving them around.

"Jack, a chair?" She looked at her husband, and he wheeled a chair for him to sit, but he refused.

"I am better than ever. Queen, I was furious when you asked me to leave. Angry. I wanted to lash out, get back and show you I was right and you were wrong. Well," He chuckled, "Those were some dark months. It wasn't until my youngest daughter pulled me out of my sad little house filled with anger and told me I would be staying with her for a while. Ah, she always had a wise look to her." Jack and Elsa felt as though this may be longer than just a short story, so they both automatically sat. Mr. Finnes eased down onto a chair.

"I stayed with them a long time, played with my grandchildren and took time to think. Wondered the biggest questions of the universe, I suppose. I would go often into the snow and just look up at the stars. I thought about what you said everyday, Elsa, it played in my mind."

"I'm sorry it was bothersome, then." Elsa glanced around uncertainty, but Mr. Finnes waved his hands.

"No. Don't be sorry. Well, it's been how many years since I was excused?" He tilted his chair back, but Jack beat him to his math.

"Five." He said swiftly, "Five years sir."

"Yes, so short, but so long. Well, I stayed with family for about two years. Then my grandson, he was about sixteen at the time, I overheard him saying about how he wanted to travel the world. I figured I had nothing else to do, so I said I'd take him." His eyes began to shine.

"Where did you go?" Elsa asked, genuinely interested.

"Everywhere!" Mr. Finnes eyes swam with memories, "We went as far as we could go. Three years I spent with him, going wherever we wanted. The things I have learned, the people I've met. And it would have never happened had you not told me to leave. I needed the courage and support of my family." He explained.

"And the last year?" Jack prompted. Mr. Finnes gave a long smile, and it was more than a couple seconds before he answered.

"Last year, I was everywhere and nowhere." He said, "I spent time with the great masters of meditation, and worked to let go of anger problems I'd previously had. Then, I came home, and I felt like a new person. I was open minded. My youngest grandchild, oh she's only about three, asked me to read from a book of myths. She said 'too bad they're not real, grandpa'. Well I told her- 'why can't they be?' That's when it happened. I've only been home a short time, and I saw you walking with Jack through the village. My granddaughter sat on the ledge of the house and said, 'Look-It's Jack Frost. You're right, he's from the stories.' And I understood."

He looked long and hard at Jack, "I'm sorry I didn't believe before." He bowed again.

"It's nothing personal, I know." Jack said amicably.

"If only everyone was like you. There is still a small divide, but it's getting smaller and smaller. One day, we may live in a time where everyone can see Jack. That would be wonderful." Elsa sighed in content.

"I just wish to thank you again." Mr. Finnes stood to leave.

"Where are you going?" Elsa frowned.

"Well, back home, I suppose." He played with the frays of his hat.

"Aren't you going to come back to the council?" Elsa asked.

"I...I was not sure if I would be welcome." He admitted, "I was so crude, and so very wrong."

Elsa put both her hands on his shoulders, "I am forgiving, and I hold no grudges. The council would only better to have a wise, well meditated man who has been places that most only see in paintings. You would be a most worthy asset to the council once again. If you please, I'll expect to see you there tomorrow at the usual time."

Mr. Finnes laughed, "Still at seven AM?" He asked, "I'd expect since you had your child- you had it correct- you would have pushed it back."

"No, my son is up with the dawn, like my other two, so I am as well." She said. Mr. Finnes bowed again, and left.

Not soon after, the sound of heavy footsteps through the castle made and Jack and Elsa look at each other with smiles of an expression that was worn well.

"I think our son finally found us." Elsa said with a long sigh.

"He has some uncanny ability to trace us anywhere," Jack chuckled, "He's like a bloodhound, always on the scent to annoy his parents." Elsa listened, and realized his Heimdall's footsteps were walking away.

"I think we're safe for another few minuets." She told Jack, "Maybe one."

"It's incredible about that old trout Mr. Finnes, eh?" He asked, "I never thought we'd see him back." He admitted.

"Me neither. It's wonderful though, that he believes. Although I suppose that anything is possible when one person believes." She gave a silly smile to Jack, who scoffed.

"That's cheesy." He said judingly. Elsa was moving to sit back and finish her letter. She tapped the quill in her fingers.

"Mhh...Chesse? Yes, I'd love some." She winked at Jack and went back to her work.

"Fine, fine. I'll get you some cheese." Jack said after a few moments of watching her work, realizing that she wasn't going to talk to him.

"Thank you, dear." She called, and he grumbled in response.

There was only a brief millisecond between Jack leaving and her silence being shattered by her son rushing in.

"Momma!" He said with glee, "I found you."

"I didn't know we were playing hide and seek." Elsa said, trying to to roll her eyes in frustration.

"We always are." He said, which made a little part that hoped for silence inside Elsa die.

She hadn't really looked at him, and now realized she better look at the 'smallish' cut Jack was talking about. She pulled him in and brushed back his long hair, and saw something was was certainty a large cut on his forehead. She knew it would scar!

"Heimdall, where did you get this?" She shirked.

"I was with Alfsol and he said he knew where papa kept his ice knives. We were trying to make an igloo." Elsa groaned into her hand.

"Did you ever think you could make ice, Heimdall? And why hasn't anything been done about this cut?"

"Alfsol wanted to do it the old way, the way his dad does. And it doesn't hurt. I'm stronger than that!" He said proudly, and Elsa got up. She was going to have a very long talk with her sister's husband. The door clinked open, and entered Jack.

He froze in the door, seeing his son with his wife. The silver platter was placed with caution. "I'm just going to leave you to your cheese..." He said slowly.

"Cheese!" Heimdall ripped himself from his mother's grip and over to the platter. Elsa sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. Motherhood- who would have ever thought?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know some of you may be getting annoyed with all the behbies that Elsa's getting, but I have to responses to that
> 
> 1) There's only two more chapter this introducing new Elsa or Anna children, and that's only about chapter 24. There's still 30ish chapters after that of not Elsa having children
> 
> 2) In the time period, as I briefly stated before in the story, it was more normal for the amount of kids that Hans' family had, over what Elsa/Anna's had. Usually, though, most of these many children died before ending their childhood, but I'm too mean to do that, so many siblings it is. They will stop eventually.

"Are you excited for another sibling, Heimdall?" Gavner asked, watching him play with Kai.

The five-year-old raised his eyes, and frowned. "No."

"Well, why not?" He asked, chuckling. Heimdall frowned, "You may get a brother."

"Girls are yucky, and I'll have to share my room with a boy." Heimdall said in his child-like arrogance of knowledge, and Gavner raised his eyebrows.

"Aren't there many rooms in the castle, though?" He asked, "Why can't this new brother get his own room?"

"Because I heard mom telling dad that." Heimdall scowled deeper, "I like my room alone. What if it's another one like Eira?"

"Like...Eira?" Gavner repeated.

"She can't do magic." Heimdall, as if to prove his point, shot a flurry of snowflakes at Kai, who whooped with joy.

"Kai can't do magic." Gavner pointed to his son, and Heimdall shook his head.

"No, Kai is different." He stressed, "You aren't magic to begin with either." Gavner decided not to take the boy's comments to seriously, because he was five and his magic was all he'd ever known.

"But you love Eira, don't you?" He prompted. Heimdall thought for a long time.

"Maybe." He said, "But she's no fun to play with. She gets too cold." He said with a frown, "I like cousin Xanthe better. She has ice magic too."

Jack entered without any warning, something that Gavner was quite used to after all these years.

"Dad!" Heimdall jumped.

"Are you ready to meet your new siblings?" Jack asked, swinging him up into his arms. Gavner leaned back in his chair, and smirked.

"Boy or girl, Jack?" He asked. Jack sent a similar grin back in his direction.

"Twin boys." He chuckled, "You have brothers now, Heimdall." Heimdall groaned.

"They're gunna have to share my room, aren't they?" He asked with dread.

"Of course, it will be fun, won't it?" He asked. Heimdall scowled, and let himself go limp so he was as heavy as a deadweight.

"No." He said sourly.

Jack dragged him through the town, nodding to people occasionally and urging the little heir to look happier for the villagers, but Heimdall was insistent. He let him off at his room, because at Heimdall kept insisting to him, he 'really, really, really, REALLY' did not want to meet them.

Rin was already climbing all over her mother, kissing her brother's heads. "This one will be named Bluey McCloud and that one will be Mr. Truffles." She looked up, "I can name them, can't I daddy?"

"Well, those are wonderful names, dear, but we'll have to talk them over." He said, wincing at the idea of his two sons falling at the mercy of his three-year-old daughter's names. Elsa just giggled, shaking her head.

"This one will take my teddy bear's place at the tea table and he'll drink ginger tea with little finger cakes. That one will dressed as a princess and be magical, because he has white hair." She announced, climbing off her mother's bed and walking out of the room.

"Where are you going, Rin?" He asked.

"To get their costumes and tea!" She replied back.

"Ouch. She's going to have to be kept away from these two." Jack took one of the twins out of the mother's arms, "Even the kids are realizing the difference between white hair and such."

"They will love their siblings just as much." Elsa insisted, but there was worry behind her tone.

"Shall we name then, then?" Jack asked, sitting on a near-by chair.

"I have no idea." Elsa admitted, "I thought it was going to be one girl, honestly." She moaned.

"Imagine you're surprise when there was two!" He nudged her, and she glared.

"That's your fault." She grumbled.

"I can't help that I am so good, that I gift you with two children at the same time." He said, "Since you pretty much named our last three, don't you think it's time for me to choose names?" He asked with a devilish grin. Elsa's eyes widened, and she thought through all the horrible things that could go wrong. Then again, this was Jack, and anything sensible had to better than Rin's names.

"I suppose s-," She began and Jack grinned, cutting her off.

"Wonderful. I think this one," He tilted light-haired boy up, "Should be named Izo."

"Izo?" Elsa considered it for a moment, "Well, it's not god-awful. I suppose it will do." She grinned, "And this one?" She held up the boy with white hair.

"Wynter." He replied. Elsa laughed, then realized he was serious.

"That's a horrible name, Jack. Just point out he's magical even more, why don't we? And what if he's not?" She questioned.

"I like it!" He argued, "It's our favorite thing. Why not, babe?" He asked.

"There's many reasons why not, Jack." She sputtered, "We might as well name him Cloud Truffles or whatever Rin suggested." The little-girl's high-pitched singing rang throughout the castle, and Jack smiled.

"Speak of the little devil," He said softly as she entered, "Hey Rin! I need your help to win an argument. Do you think that Wynter is a good name for that brother?" He asked.

"She's three, Jack, and she loves you. She'll agree to anything you say." Elsa moaned.

"I love it!" She cried, dropping all her doll clothes.

"Two to one, Elsa baby." He said.

"No. I over-rule this." Elsa said. Rin had already crawled onto the bed.

"Hi, Wynter." She greeted, "I like your name a lot."

"He is not being named Wynter." Elsa told her daughter. Rin gave a deadly frown.

"Yes. He is!" She said. She looked at Jack, glaring.

"Oh, I'll get you for this." She said, "You're so done." Jack held up his hands helplessly, "We're going to name William." She said.

"Wynter." Rin insisted.

Officially, she tried to name him William. But Jack and Rin spread around the word what his real name was. Rin was, he had to admit, good at persuasion. Nearly all the children in town were now calling the new prince Wynter, much to Elsa's dismay, no matter how hard she argued. Jack sat behind her with an eternal smirk on his face, offering little help. Never underestimate the power of a three-year-old girl, he thought. Maybe Rin should be on the council, he offered to Elsa one night as they crawled into bed. She promptly replied by kicking him out to sleep in the extra bedroom. Clearly this was not quite as amusing to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Wynter for a frost child...oh Jack, why? I was talking to a friend and I said that I was naming one of their kids that and she was like 'Oh! That's an amazing name! So great!' and I had to tell her it was a joke name in the story, and I can't imagine any poor child of Elsa and Jack's being named such a thing in all seriousness because that would be like naming a big baby Giant or a daughter born on the Summer equinox Summer or a kid whose last name is Parker Peter. You know, a bad name like that. Alas, I couldn't resist. So here's the twin's name info:  
> Wynter (WIN-tur). English. Meaning...winter (duh). Modern respelling of Winter. Popularized in part by MTV's television show "Liquid Televison" on which a puppet character was named Wynter Steel.
> 
> Izo (EEH-zo). German. Meaning ice or steel.


	23. Chapter 23

Her resolve held up much longer than anticipated, Jack would later reminisce. He was banned from his bedroom for the whole Wynter fiasco for three whole months. It was worth it, though, Wynter Frost was the name that was stuck with him.

Time seemed to fly by for the family. The amount of children between Anna and Elsa went from 8 to 13 in just five short years. Anna had a pair of twins at the 27- a boy named Cham and a girl named Rizpah. Once again, she was pleased to discover neither of them carried the dreaded white hair.

Elsa, on the other hand, had three more girls and was disappointed to see one of them was not born with white hair, joining her older siblings Eira and Izo as somewhat outcasts, according to the older siblings. First came Azura two years after the the twin boys, and then three years later was another set of twins- Neela and Nevada. Nevada was strikingly normal.

A couple months after the birth of the newest set of twins, Elsa was ill in her bed. "I'm not sick Jack, I just ate some fish that was maybe a day over it's time." She insisted, spending her morning barfing in a bucket, "Where's Heimdall?"

"With the tutor, in the middle of lessons." Jack sat on the bed, "Can I bring you any food?" Elsa shuddered.

"That's the last thing I want right now, Jack." She winced, "Just go and get him. I need to talk to him."

Jack stood, but hesitated at the door. "About what?" He asked.

"Birthrights." She said and Jack froze.

"You said you were just feeling sick, why are you-," He stuttered, but Elsa waved her hand to dismiss him.

"Oh Jack, I'm not dying. It's something I've been meaning to talk to him about for awhile now." She said, smiling and settling back on her pillows, "I've been so busy that this is the first free-time I've had in weeks."

Jack accepted this, and nodding, walked leisurely to where the older children's tutor room was. At the age of six, the children began their schooling and the King and Queen were quite strict about their learning. Three children came rocketing down the hall, weaving underneath his legs. One of the projectiles knocked him to the left a couple paces and he heard a shocked, "Sorry Uncle Jack!" It took Jack a couple moments to register the children and he sighed in frustration.

"Azura!" He snapped, "Come here! You two, Cham and Rizpah." He said and the three kids sorrowfully came back, heads ducked low between their shoulder blades.

"What has Mom and Aunt Anna said about running inside?" He asked, and all the children sank lower.

"It's not proper to do?" Cham replied.

"But no one is rarely in this hall!" Rizpah bursted, and Jack narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry papa." Azura whimpered, and he had a feeling that her two older cousins roped her into this mess. Thank god Anna's twins only had another year before the majority of time was spent learning math and reading.

"It's a bright sunny day, summer is almost here. Why don't you go outside?" He asked, getting on his knees to look at the three. To be honest, he didn't care about them running around most of the time. This hallway, not only littered with expensive glass vases and crystal chalices among the walls, was near where the children were styding, and therefore they might distract the class. He'd never hear the end of it from Beryl, Elsa's chosen teacher, if they had to stop arithmetic to yell at the little ones.

"No one to watch us." Cham looked a different way, "Mom and dad are of visiting family and the maids say we get into too much trouble if we're not watched outside."

"Which is why you're not being watched now?" He asked dryly. Even his twin boys, Izo and Wynter, were not as much danger and messes packed into Anna's children, "Look, Queen Elsa wants to see Heimdall, and I'm fetching him. After I get him, I'll take you outside to play." The lights in their eyes lit up, and the nodded ethusiastically.

"Yes! We can play save the princess!" Rizpah squealed with delight.

"No way! We're playing kill the dragon, and you're the dragon." He poked Azura in the stomach.

"Okay, okay. Go and sit in the front parlor, where I know there are maids and servants around. I'll be down to take you out soon, okay?" He said. The children nodded in unison and took off in the other direction, "What did I say about running?" He called after them in exasperation.

The classroom fell dead silent as Jack stepped into the schoolhouse of nine children. In his opinion, as far as he could see, he was pretty sure Izo and Wynter weren't doing much else than drawing circles on their pages. Then again, one couldn't expect Beryl to have magic eyes to see what the children were doing at all times.

"Yes, King Jack?" Beryl asked, pausing a lesson to look at him. He caught eyes with his eldest son, who also seemed to be doing not much else other than daydreaming.

"I need to borrow Heimdall. Elsa wants to talk to him."

The ripples of 'ooohs' spread around the room like a wildfire. "You're in trouble!" Eira giggled, and Heimdall went red in the face.

"Am not!" He hissed back, then looked up fearfully, "Dad?"

"Come on." He said, chuckling and leading his son out of the classroom.

"If it's about the painting in the west hall, I swear Alfsol said no one would notice and it's washable and-," He began to blubber once out of the classroom. Jack help up a finger.

"You're not in trouble, son, but if you continue talking you may get yourself into it. But, if you don't continue what you were saying now, then I can forget you ever started saying anything." He said and Heimdall relaxed. Jack leaned in, whispering, "And, I thought it was pretty funny- that picture. I already know."

"What?" Heimdall looked shocked. His father grinned.

"I'm a playful winter spirit. You think I don't notice things like that?" He asked, "Now come, no reason to keep you longer from school then you need to."

Elsa looked a bit brighter in color when Jack and Hiemdall reached their chambers. She was talking with Frey, who had Neela and Nevada in the buggy.

"There you are! I thought you lost your way." Elsa chuckled.

"We were having a man talk." Jack said, shrugging, "Now if you don't mind, dear, I promised the three little monsters I'd supervise them outside." He rolled his eyes. Elsa winced.

"Oh, I don't envy you. Try not to come back with any cuts, this time?" She asked, recalling the last time that Jack had 'supervised' Anna's twins.

Frey gathered the babies back into their basket, sensing an important and intimate meeting about to take place. She nodded to Elsa as she left, and Heimdall realized he was being left alone to talk about something he had no idea about.

"How's school today?" Elsa asked, leaning forward and rubbing his head, and then frowned, "You're in need of a haircut." Heimdall ducked away.

"It's fine. And I like my hair long." He groaned.

"When you're eighteen, you may wear it however you like. But that's eight years from now, and I won't let you look like a dog, Heimdall. I'll talk to Frey about that." She made a mental note. Heimdall grimaced.

"Are you feeling better, mom?" He asked.

"Just some bad fish. I'll be fine, dear. I just needed a days rest, that's all."

"Good. Eira thinks you're going to die." He smiled a little.

"Eira is dramatic and misinformed. I'm nowhere near death. Everyone gets sick sometimes, dear." Elsa reassured.

"So...dad said you wanted to talk to me." Heimdall twiddled his fingers. Elsa motioned for him to sit on the bed with her, to which he scrunched up his nose in disgust. Elsa sighed.

"Oh, right. You're ten and old now, too big to sit with your sick mother." She sniffled. Heimdall rolled his eyes and grudgingly sat next to her.

"I still love you mom..." He mumbled.

"But only from a long distance, I know, I know." She smiled at him, "What I wanted to talk to you about is that soon, you won't be a child anymore. Being older comes with responsibilities, especially for you, being the first born child." Heimdall frowned.

"I don't..." He began.

"Surly you must realize that being the oldest, one day you will be king." Elsa snipped, and Heimdall froze.

"Me?" He asked.

"Yes, you. There are traditions and ways that a future king needs to act that we have not been teaching you, because you need a childhood. But, starting soon, you must learn the ways of royalty, if you ever expect to be a fitful king." She said, and Heimdall shrunk.

His answer as inaudible. "What was that?" Elsa asked, "I didn't quite hear."

"What if I don't want to be a king?" Heimdall asked louder. There was a silence.

"It's your birthright, dear. You can't just throw it away." She said icily, "It is a responsibility you cannot disregard."

"If I were to die, though, then Rin would be the next in line, wouldn't she though?" Heimdall reasoned. Elsa coughed.

"Well, that's horrible to wish a death upon yourself, but yes, technically yes." Elsa said carefully.

"Well, then why can't I just refuse? I don't want to rule, and Rin would do much better. Mom, I can hardly keep a goldfish alive." He rubbed the back of his neck shamefully.

"You can't just 'not want to'. I'm sorry you were born into this family, being the oldest, but that's how it is." She said firmly.

"You tried to give your birthright to Anna, didn't you! I know the story." He stood.

"That was different, and it didn't work. I realized I had a job and I was the first in line, so it was my duty." Elsa said.

"I want to travel though. I don't want to stay here." He looked all around, "I want to see the world."

"Why can't you do that as king?" She asked.

"Because then I have to make decisions and people are always following me and I can never be alone. I can't ever really do what I want to do." He said.

"Heimdall, no matter if you were the first in line or not, you would always have someone protecting you. You are a prince." She murmured, "And...the heir to the throne does get their own room." She said with a small smile.

"What?" Heimdall perked up.

"Yes, a large and wonderful room all to yourself." Heimdall thought for a long time. He tried not to make a face as he imagined his own living situation with Izo and Wynter as it was, and tried to sound blasé as he replied.

"Well, maybe I'll give it another thought...in my own room." He said softly.

"That would be good. Now head back to class, I don't want to keep you much longer." She said. Heimdall nodded, hugged his mother, and scurried away. Later that night, Jack was furious.

"You bribed him, Elsa?" he threw up his hands.

"What else was I supposed to do?" She cried.

"Tell him that he is free to chose what he wishes!" Jack was flabbergasted.

"Jack, you weren't born into this. You married into this. You don't understand that he can't simply say no!" Elsa all but screamed.

"Well why not?"

"It's tradition, that's why!" Elsa groaned, "Don't you see?"

"Well, tradition can be broken. You broke tradition by marrying me, didn't you?" He asked, "In the quest of true love?"

"This is not true love, Jack. This is a boy, who doesn't know and doesn't yet understand. But he will. He will be the king, Jack." She vowed.

"I can't believe you're going to force your first-born son to be so unhappy. Maybe he was not made to be a ruler his whole life."

"Then he wouldn't have been born first." Elsa sniffed, "You will not underhand me on my choices, Jack." She said in a low voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Miss Haughty Queen." He sneered, and stormed away.

"Where are you going, Jack?" She demanded.

"Away, Elsa. Okay? I need some time alone. Don't follow me." He growled, running his hands through his hair. Elsa finally looked hurt, and he turned sharply and stomped out of the castle and flew away into the night.

He returned late in the morning, and found Elsa still awake, lying motionless on the bed. He tried to return quietly through the window, but Elsa turned over.

"After fourteen years, you really expect to sneak in, Jack?" her tone was even, there held no emotion.

"I don't know." He sighed, tired from fighting with her and running everything through his mind. Elsa sat up, and gave a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." She murmured.

"I'm sorry for the name calling." Jack said in return, crawling in next to her.

"I'm not sorry for what I did for Heimdall today though. Just try to understand. If one day, I see he's really unhappy then I'll..." She broke off, "But for now, he has to try to be the role of the heir. It's in his blood." She said.

They lay in silence for a couple more moments before Jack pulled her into his stomach.

"I love you." He said, wrapping his arms around her.

She smiled, sinking into the spoon with him.

"I love you too." She said with a sigh. Jack moved his lips up her neck, and she turned.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Oh, come on. The best thing about bad fights is great make-up sex." He moaned into her ear.

"Jack, I'm still sick. I've been barfing all night. I can still taste it in my mouth." She pulled away from him. He shrugged and she gave a short huff of breath, "I just told you I'm sick, and you're still hard?"

"Baby, understand I'm stuck in the time frame of a horney teenage boy. I'm always ready to go. That's why we have so many kids."

Elsa sighed, admitting defeat. "You're incorrigible, Frost."

"Why thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life isn't perfect with these two, but they always come back to each other in the end.  
> WHOOT! NEW CHILDREN!
> 
> Cham (Cham): Hebrew. Means warm or hot. In the Bible Cham is the second son of Noah
> 
> Rizpah (RIZ-pah): Hebrew. Means Hot bed of coals.
> 
> Azura (ah-ZUR-ah). French. Means blue sky.
> 
> Neela (NEE-la): Indian. Means blue of the sea.
> 
> Nevada (ne-VAH-dah): Spanish. Means snow-covered.


	24. Chapter 24

15-year-old Heimdall burst into Rin's room unannounced. The girl was reading at her bed, and looked up in annoyance at the interruption.

"Mom's pregnant again." He announced sourly, sitting down.

"I thought she said Vienna would be the last one." Rin cried, moaning.

"Yeah, we all did. She said that about Berlio, too. But then she decided, I guess, that she wanted one more. An uneven 11. You know she likes uneven things." Heimdall groaned.

"But then dad will point out he likes even things, and it won't be the last one." Rin argued, "Secretly, we all know that's dad excuse because he's so young and virtual and all." She said, and Heimdall shuddered.

"Odin, I don't want to imagine that." He made a face, "Don't you think it's weird how old mom is compared to dad?" He asked. RIn sighed in irritation.

"No." She said shortly, "He's a spirit. I think it's cool, and sweet. Even though mom is getting wrinkles and old, he still loves her. It's romantic." She said, and Heimdall gave a gagging sound.

"Whatever. Ew. I'm going now." He said, and Rin went back to her book, "Well, you know where the door is." She said. He gave a walk across the castle to where the guest-house area that Anna lived with Kristoff was. He knocked on Alfsol's door. The seventeen-year old cousin smiled at one of his best friends.

"My mom is pregnant...again." He said in frustration.

"I know, Dally. I heard her telling Aunt Anna about it. At least when my mother told Kristoff she was done after Benar, she was serious." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm just so tired of her pregnant all the time."

"Really, being queen and all, I don't know when her and Uncle Jack have time for it." He admitted. Heimdall made a similar face as he had in Rin's room.

"That's the last thing I want to imagine." Alfsol was still thinking.

"I'm sure they're good at it now, real creative." He mused.

"Shut up or I'll punch you." Heimdall said in all seriousness. Alfosl tousled his fingers through the silky blond locks.

"Do you want to do something tonight?" He asked, "Something...crazy?" He asked, "Invite Kai. A guys night out." He said.

"Sure." Heimdall said, "Anything to get me out of here."

"I don't see why you're so upset, Dally." Alfsol said as he opened his door wide for his cousin to come in, "I mean, a new kid won't change your status much, you're an heir. Everyone else just becomes slightly less important."

"That's not the point." Heimdall snapped.

"Then what is?" Alfsol was menacing when he squared his shoulders and stood up fully. Heimdall, who was a little more scrawny in comparison shrunk a bit. He was silent for only a moment, before he licked his lips to go off into another slightly deviated topic.

"But don't you find it odd that you're basically the same age as my dad?" He pestered. Alfsol shrugged.

"Does it bug you in two years you will be?" He asked.

"Yes!" Heimdall cried, wasting no time in answering. Alfsol on the other hand, paused.

"No." He said decisively, "It doesn't bother me." Heimdall scowled, "Come on, dude. He's like...immortal! Don't you realize how cool that is? How cool your whole family is? My family only has Xanthe, but she's a bitch at the best at times." He said.

"It shouldn't be that way." He insisted.

"Sure, maybe one day it will be weird, I mean people may think you're his dad and he's your son, but hey- live in the now." Alfsol pointed out. Heimdall glared.

"You're not helping, Alfsol." He stewed sourly. Alfsol gave a disgusted scoff.

"I didn't know we were playing doctor. Poor little rich heir with a magical dad that is doesn't grow up. Oh, poor you." He sneered, "I'm getting tired of your talk about this. We're going out, and I swear to Odin if you keep talking about this, I'll punch your face in." Alfsol said, and Heimdall snapped his jaw shut tightly. He believed it.

"Okay..." Alfsol sighed, and Heimdall watched him fish some unflattering and uninteresting colored and shaped cloaks from the back of his closet, "Put this on." He said, and began putting his own on, throwing on on the bed he assumed was for Kai.

Heimdall held in in his hands, feeling the peasant-like fabric in-between his fingers.

"Why?"

Alfsol turned in frustration. "Look, where we're going, it's best if no one knows it's you or notices you going. Now put it on." Heimdall, curious, obeyed, but didn't let up.

"Are we going to get in trouble for this?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Not if you keep your mouth shut." Alfsol said, and eased open his door. He checked carefully, and waited until Aunt Anna passed with Benar. Then, he snuck out, motioning that Heimdall should follow carefully.

Together they made their way through the town, and crept around the back to Kai's bedroom. Through the frosted window, he saw his friend lazily reading on his bed. He tapped at the window, and Kai pushed the glass out, peering at his friend.

"Why are you dressed like you're homeless?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alfsol's taking us somewhere and he said we needed to be disguised." He explained softly, so no one would hear. Kai thought for only a second.

"Sounds secretive and something I should not be doing." He said, sniffing, then smirked, "So give me ten seconds to get my dad off my case when I leave." He said.

Heimdall and Alfsol went back around, and sat in the shadows of the trees in Kai's front yard. He was out the door not long after, like promised.

"I promise I'll be home by midnight." He said, waving good-bye. Alfsol threw the garment at him, and Heimdall asked what he said.

"I was just vague. I think my dad would rather not know what me and you do, he just assumes it's good." Kai said, shrugging.

"Good, now be quiet and follow me. We don't want to attract attention to ourselves. When we get there, use a fake name- choose it carefully!" He warned. Kai and Heimdall shared twin looks, and scoffed. Kai seemed anxious.

They appeared at an old half-abaonded stone building, and Heimdall sputtered. "The old grain factory?" He sneered, "So exciting."

"Would you shut the hell up?" Alfsol snapped, "It's secretive...down here." He said, leading to what looked like a door that would give any person who attempted to open it splinters galore. Heimdall was still not impressed. Alfsol knocked on it in a little pattern, and the door swung open. There were stairs that seemed better maintained, and Heimdall went last so he could leave if he found it to not be worth his time.

When he came to the bottom, Alfsol in the front smirked, lowered his hood, and began to push back the curtain. "Welcome to paradise- tonight is the night you become men."

He revealed a world like Heimdall had never seen before. The room was lit with a strange blue light, and all around him was steam and scantily clad women. Sheer fabric hung from all over, and other men mingled around. Some women danced on tables, others were taking men into the corners that turned black.

"What...is...this?" Kai was nearly watering at the mouth.

"Heaven." Alfsol breathed, "These women are all exotic." He emphasized, like it was some great jewel or treasure he had the pleasure of standing and breathing on.

"Have you been here before?" Heimdall questioned sharply, realizing what he meant about becoming 'men'. Alfsol shrugged.

"Uh, once or so." He said casually, but Heimdall highly doubted it when three women flocked him instantly.

"Hi, Kiev." One of them purred. Another was taking off his outer cloak.

"Long time no see." She whispered. The third was trailing fingers up and down his arm. Heimdall scarcely heard her as she whispered,

"We've all missed you and your-,"

"Once or twice?" Heimdall interrupted, stoping his poor ears from bleeding. He loved his cousin, but he didn't need to hear what she was going to say.

"Okay, eight or nine." Alfsol admitted, "Ladies, this is my cousin and his best friend. I'm sure you'll treat them well." He leaned in and whispered in the most alluring one and whispered, "They're newbies, if you know what I mean."

The girl chuckled, "Oh Kiev, we'll give them the best night of their lives." Alfsol clapped his hands.

"Great! So, see you back here maybe ten minuets to midnight, and...enjoy yourselves." He shrugged, and was led away by two of the girls.

"Well", the girl who seemed moderately dressed in comparison to the girls who paraded around in hardly more than underclothing said, "Any woman is your pick. And he didn't have to say that you're...uneducated. I could tell by the way you walk, and those girls know too, so don't worry about a thing. Just...enjoy yourself. Drinks are free as are the ladies, but tips are always appreciated. We are very pleased to have you here." She kissed each on the cheek and left in a cloud of smoke.

"Woah." Kai murmured, and then was the first to break away, stumbling into the cloud.

"K-," Heimdall began, but realized that they weren't supposed to use names, "Dude! Come back!"

His friend was gone, and he cussed at the ground. He was unfamiliar here, but something inside of him was growling like a tiger, and he went forward with caution.

Ladies from places he'd only heard of danced in front of him, and he weaved around like a child at a fair, with no real purpose.

Finally, after stumbling like an idiot for what seemed like forever, unsure what to touch and what not to, a soft hand grabbed his wrist. He felt someone whispering through the fabric of his hood, which he choose to keep up because he knew that if they were going for anonymity, his hood was a dead give-away.

"You seem lost." She murmured, "Let me help." She trailed up his arm, and placed a drink he'd never seen before in his hand. It was almost fruity, and he couldn't taste any alcohol in it, but he knew there had to be.

She began leading him away. Through the smog, he saw Kai, being as charismatic as alway surrounded by girls leaning on his every word as he told some elaborate (and probably fake) tale with elaborate hand gestures.

The world of blue and purple hues was shut out from him as a door was slammed, sending him into darkness. The lady seemed to know her way around, and soft lips found his neck.

"Your hands are cold." She murmured.

"They always are." Hiemdall replied, heavily distracted, "My whole body is."

"Then let me warm you." She whispered, and he found himself being pushed onto a bed. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but he wasn't going to stop her, so he let her. He determined that he was ready, in a sense, when it really came down to it.

At the crux of his best night, someone accidentally slammed the door open, throwing light across the face of the woman for the first time. His hood, which had fallen off during such things, but he hadn't worried about because of the dark, he now fumbled to replace. In that moment, though, he saw her eyes and they widened and she knew. But wait...he saw her too.

"You?" They said in unison, mood killed, and truth bared. They stared at each other for a long moment before the girl bowed, getting her clothes.

"Your majesty," She said, the words falling from her lips in chopped fragments, "I didn't know."

"I think I know you." The girl shook her head.

"No it's impossible. I'm sorry, but that must be someone else." She said, and sighed, "I think I'm done as are you, but if you like I can send in someone else..." She began.

"No...no, it's time to be going." He tried to catch another look at her, but realized she'd vanished into the shadows and was gone.

At the door, Alfsol looked only slightly less groomed than before, and was re-adjusting his button down shirt. Kai, on the other hand, stumbled around- clearly intoxicated- with his undershirt missing, tie tied in an impossible knot, hair sticking up like he'd just woken up from a five year nap, and multiple bit wounds on his neck and chest.

"That was awesome!" He said, falling into Alfsol.

"Dammit, we can't take you home like this." The eldest boy moaned, "Kai?" He looked up, seeing his cousin approach, "You look like you saw a ghost."

"The girl that I was with...I think I know her." He said, ashamed of himself in some way. Alfsol gave him a weird look.

"How would you know? You never go outside and mingle with the common people, and the only females other than mom and Aunt Elsa are the maids and workers. And I'm sure as hell positive none of those people would be here." He shrugged, "It's just your imagination, I'm sure. Now help me carry the idiot of here and back home while we think of a reason of why he didn't come home." He said. Heimdall sighed, turning back around to try to see the girl, but it was in vain he realized. Grudgingly, he took Kai's arm and put it over his shoulder, and dragged his best friend up the stairs and into the cold snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Berlio (Burh-lio): Hmm. I had thought it meant something relating to ice and all but maybe I just liked it because it was French (usually spelled Berlioz- like one of the kittens in Aristocats). Also a form of the name Berlin.
> 
> Vienna (vee-EHN-ah): English. Means white. From the capital city of Austria, named for its river whose name is believed to be from the Celtic element 'vindo' (white).
> 
> Benar: Hmm. I guess I just thought this was a cool name too. I found a variation of it means 'Bear'.


	25. Chapter 25

Alfosl had been right-it was a night he couldn't forget. But, not for the reasons that Alfsol would have imagined. Sure, that part, or what he'd experienced, had been wonderful, but it was the face of the girl that haunted him.

For a whole year and a half, up until shortly after his seventeenth birthday, he obsessed over her. He went back many times with Alfsol and Kai to the place under the stone building, but was never lucky enough to cross paths with her again. Other girls were beautiful, and some even intelligent he realized, but none were like...her. It was the fascination, the mystery, Kai told him. Alfsol just thought he was odd. But Alfsol wasn't around as much anymore. He was 19 now and apprenticed, so he wasn't in the castle often. Heimdall desperately missed his friend, and knew that in a year he'd have to chose his apprenticing job as well and start his intensive and more adult training for the throne.

His mother, much to his displeasure, had not one child but triplets. Three boys, of course, only one with white hair. The two normal children were named Caldwell and Colborne, and the magical one was Caulton. He wasn't sure why all three were named with such similar names- when mom got angry at one of them, she usually went through all of their names before reaching the correct one.

He was being fitted with new garments that particular day. All the children were- it was in with the new and out with the old. His mother was giving, though, and after the shedding of last season's clothing, made them all go out in the village and find children their size and give them the fabric. Wether they wore it or sold the majestic fabric was their choice, but she would not stand to see her children's clothes being thrown so carelessly away when others did not have such opportunities.

"These top coats are all the rage in the west." A seamstress said to Elsa, who was there to examine the styles on the drawing for her children.

"Oh, really?" She asked, and Nevada poked through to look.

"This looks comfortable." Elsa pointed to a drawing of what was labeled 'Norfolk Coat' under the men's section.

"It's for rugged activities. Shooting or sports." The woman explained.

"Seems nice. Is it warm?" She asked, of course, thinking like a mother.

"Well, it can be made warm. It's more of a spring coat." The woman tutted.

"Hmm, well in a land that is winter eight of twelve months, anything we order must primarily be insulated. Right?" She promoted.

She was distracted by the older girls; Rin, Eira, and Azura, who all were gathered excitedly around the girl's fashions.

"Mom look at these dresses! Look at the color!" Eira cried, 13 years old.

"Oh, I love this fabric. Is it available?" Rin asked, running her fingers over a silver and blue velvet scrap glued into the book.

"I want this one! Mama, look at the lace and ruffles. Oh it would be absolutely perfect for my 10th birthday." She cried, and Elsa gave a long sigh with a smile.

"Great Thor! Excuse me, just a moment." She said and the seamstress winked in understanding, "Girls! I was getting to you. Odin knows it takes longer and longer to shop for you every year..."

Heimdall flipped through the book with half-hearted disinterest. It all seemed very tailored and precise, meaning little breathing room. He pulled his lip in disgust. He did like all the top hats and bowler hats that sat unwrapped in hat boxes, though, and flipped one onto his head.

"Very handsome." The seamstress crooned, and he nodded, shrugging. Fashion was nothing important to him, not like it was to his sisters, "While we wait for your mother to decide what you're going to wear, why don't you wait in that room to be measured? Someone will be in with you in a moment."

She was pointed to a little area of the store that was aptly named 'Measuring Room.' The store was tiny; only one small shop in the chain of fashion stores the high-class seamstress managed. She only came down to this one on occasion for the King and Queen, twice a year. The store, otherwise, was filled with fabrics and such but if anyone wanted a pre-made garment, they had to send a request to the main store three days away.

He sighed, stepping into the room and pulling the curtain behind him. He sat, putting the hat which he'd so chosen as his own at that point at fingertip away, as if someone was going to barge in and take it away from him.

He sat on the bench, and closed his eyes, sighing. He was tired and hungry, but Odin knew he may be here at least another two hours.

"Right, I'm here to-," That was all he heard before the clattering of a tape-measure, notebook, and pencil. All three echoed against the floorboards, and he opened his eyes.

"You!" He jumped up.

"I think it would be best to get someone else to attend to you." The girl that had entered whispered, and she began to leave. Heimdall grabbed her with his iron grip, pulling her back into the room.

"No. Not again. Not like last time." He insisted, and the girl's lip quivered.

"Did I displeasure you that time?" She asked in a small voice, but there was a hard edge to it.

"I've been looking for you for a year and a half." He said. The girl's lip quivered even harder, and she looked down.

"Then it was awful for you, was it?" She surmised, "I am truly sorry."

"No. It was...wonderful." Heimdall admitted, "But you lied when you said I didn't know you. You were the representative they used to send to the castle before mother decided to take us all here." He said, snapping two and two together.

"I did not lie." The girl bristled, "You do not know me, you recognized me. You do not know my name or my story. I am a stranger to you."

"Fine." Heimdall put his hand out, "I'm Heimdall Frost. What's your name?" He asked. The woman eyed his hand warily.

"My name is Aoife," She said, but did not take his hand, "But only because you would have found it out some other way.

Now let me do what my job is, to take your measurements. Now, strip down to your very last underclothings." She instructed.

Heimdall sputtered. "In front of you?"

"It is nothing I haven't seen before." She said drily, but even so color flooded her cheeks. Heimdall nodded, numbly, and stripped down. He kept his gaze on her at all times.

"So what was a girl like you doing in an exotic dance club?" He asked, gazing over her, "You're hardly exotic."

"It's my hair." She explained, "The call it fire hair, or devil hair. And they say they've never seen a person so pale...well, except for your father." She whispered.

"Do you still...work there?" He asked, trying to sound casual. She snapped her head up, and her green eyes were filled with liquid fear.

"Don't speak so loudly. My boss will hear." Her eyes narrowed with bitterness, "Unless you've already told her, in which this will be the last job I preform. How very ironic." She sneered.

"What? Tell? Why would that matter?" He asked. She ground her teeth.

"Palace boy, of course." She sniffed, "It may be just a pleasurable place for you, but it is degrading for such women that work there. Most don't care, most it is their only job. I wouldn't have to work there, of course, if this was better supporting."

"So...you don't want to work there?" He asked, and she became very offended.

"Do you think I enjoy it? Different men all the same really. Do you think I enjoy the fear that one will give me a child that I can not afford to feed any better than I can feed myself? Do you think a women would go there unless there was no other choice?" She questioned, her voice raising higher and higher. Heimdall winced at her words.

"I'm sorry-,"

"You are not sorry. You do not understand." She said venomously. She got up, and made one last mark on her sheet, "I am done." She said, "You may leave." She pointed to the door, but Heimdall stared at the woman of his constant hauntings.

"I don't want to." He murmured, and Aoife scowled.

"Then I will." She said, and gathering the fabric of her skirt, strode away. He came out of the room, blinking like he'd been struck by the most beautiful light.

By Odin, this was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW WE KNOW WHO THE MYSTERY GIRL IS! YAY!  
> Names (I swear these are the last children from Elsa and Jack. Elsa's throwing down her authority now, and simply refusing his advances. She doesn't want to chance getting FOUR at once!)
> 
> Also, why did I name them all so similarly, if you were curious? When searching for names, I liked all 3 and couldn't decide and a lot of people with more than one child at a time name them in groups, so that made more sense than having like 'Heimdall' be named Caulton and the others spread in other places.
> 
> And why are there 13? Maybe because I love to hate Hans, or the universe (me) likes making Heimdall miserable, or I just can't resist making fan babies. Maybe all 3. Okay, now onto names.
> 
> Caulton (KALL-tun): English. Means 'cold town'.
> 
> Colbourne (KOHL-born): English. Means 'cold stream'
> 
> Caldwell (KAWL-dwell): English. Means 'cold river'.
> 
> Aoife (EE-fa): Gaelic. Means 'beautiful, radiant, joyful'. According to Irish legend, Aoife was the greatest female warrior in the world. This is currently a very popular name in Ireland.


	26. Chapter 26

Everyone noticed the change in Heimdall's demeanor. The problem was, it wasn't...something they could pinpoint. It wasn't exactly his habits that had changed, nor his outward personality, by all standards he seemed quite grumpy and sarcastic still. Yet there was a part of him that was so utterly changed and foreign that no one could attempt to dechiper it. Jack was the first to figure it out. Elsa was expressing worry in their bedroom.

"He's just so faraway." She sighed, putting down her book. She realized only then she'd read the same page for half an hour, never making progress past the first sentence.

"Is that any different from before?" Jack chuckled, scratching behind his neck.

"It's a different sort. I worry about him, Jack." She said, frowning.

"I know, I know. It's a mother's curse. You worry about all of them. Like Izo failing a math test, or Berlio getting bullied by his younger sister." Jack shrugged.

"No, it's different. This is Heimdall. He's our baby." Her eyebrows knit together in deep concentration. Jack whistled.

"In comparison to our triplets who are hardly over a year and actual babies, our 17 year old is more our baby. Hmm." Elsa sourly threw her book next to her.

"Jack!" She half-yelled, "I'm really worried. What if he's depressed?" She cried.

Jack scooted closer to her and put an arm around her dainty shoulders. He brought her head down to the crook of his neck, where she sighed in defeated contentment, nuzzling far into his embrace. He kissed the top of her hair, which he noted had a few streaks of gray in- which he thought only made her starlight hair more beautiful- and gave a long hard sigh.

"Heimdall's just going through a hard time." He tilted his head, and thought hard, "Actually, I think I know." He said with sudden clarity.

Elsa's head shot up. "What?"

Jack's smile was wicked. "He's in love."

"Jack be serious." Elsa frowned, returning to where her head had been resting before.

"No, no. Really. He's in love with a girl that doesn't like him back. Or, he's too surly to know how to comprehend liking a girl, and that makes him angry. I know this kid like the back of my hand, Elsa. This is it."

"Jack, you're not going to torture the poor boy if that's what it is, are you?" She asked, wincing.

"Torture? What kind of horrible father would I be if I did that?" He asked, but his eyes gleamed with the youthful glow of an opportunity that Elsa saw commonly on the faces of Anna's trouble making twins.

"I still don't understand why he's angry. Love is beautiful." Elsa crooned, and Jack rolled his eyes.

"He's a guy, honey." He said, as if that explained it all. He elaborated at her raised eyebrows, "They don't think like girls do. Love is a helluvah scary thing. I mean, if I had grown up with it, I would have been terrified. With you, it was a sort of instinctual thing." He admitted.

"I want to know who she is." Elsa said decisively, "I need to know whose caused my baby so much heartache."

"And what? Tell her to scram and she's a terrible human being?" Jack asked, and Elsa didn't reply, "Yeah, that will really help Heimdall."

"Oh shut up." Elsa batted his chest, "When one of your girls fall in love, you'll understand."

"What? No way. I'm gunna be a cool dad about it." Jack said and Elsa rolled her eyes.

Jack crept out of bed after Elsa had fallen asleep, and was not surprised to see the lights still on in Heimdall's room. He entered silently, and saw his eldest son sitting on the ledge of the window, his legs swinging in the night air.

"You know mom would kill you to see you sitting here." He commented, and Heimdall nearly had a hear-attack and fell to see his father materialized on the ledge next to him.

"Goddamit, Dad." Heimdall scowled, "You nearly killed me."

"Hmm." His father twiddled his thumbs, gazing up to the full moon, "Hello, moon." He greeted. Heimdall looked at him like he had gone nuts. Jack caught his gaze.

"Did I ever tell you the moon gave me my powers? I think I was a human once, I'm not sure. I always greet the man in the moon. He's not a talker though." Jack said, humming with thought.

"And now you're a creepy seventeen year old immortal father." Heimdall said acidically. Jack shrugged.

"Just keeping it real."

There was a long silence, before Jack sighed. "It hurts when you say that, though, Dall. Creepy? Just stab me through the heart, why don't you."

"You know I think it's weird we're the same age." Heimdall winced, realizing his own lack of tact.

"You should be grateful. You'll never lose me, I'll always be around for you all. Elsa will one day..." he gulped, not being able to finish his sentence, "But I'll always be here."

"Comforting."

There was another long silence between the two men, something that Jack desperately wished he could fix. Heimdall used to think he was a god. What happened? He decided to be frank about why he decided to visit his son's room at such a time.

"Who is she?" He asked. Heimdall once again jumped.

"Who is what?"

"The girl you're head over heels for." He saw the panic flash across his son's face, "I'm not an idiot, Heimdall. I've watched humans for longer than you can imagine, and I know when a boy is in love."

Heimdall was very silent. Jack continued. "So what is it? Does she not like you? Not talk to you? Or is she already spoken for? Or does she live far away?" He watched his son's face carefully, but nothing was betrayed at his guessing, "I want to help you."

Silence once more. "Okay...where did you meet her?" At this question, Heimdall's face flamed bright scarlet. Jack winced.

"Okay, that can only mean three things. Erm, she saw you skinny dipping last summer, she had to wash your underwear, or you went to the exotic basement."

"How do you know about that?" The words slipped out before Heimdall knew what he was saying.

"Oh, ouch. I hoped it wasn't that one." Jack moaned, "And son, I'm a king and a male. I've known about that for quite some time, thanks to Gavner's brother. I keep it open only because I know Alfsol would be devastated if I closed it. And Alfsol may or may not be making me chocolate chip cookie bribes to keep it open."

"He would." Heimdall chuckled, running his hand through his hair.

"So, maybe I really don't want to know but lie and tell your old man that you were just there for some drinks and staring at the pretty ladies, and she was a dancer, okay?" Jack asked.

Heimdall hesitated, "I was only there getting a drink staring at them." He grumbled, and Jack winced.

"You really need to work on your lying skills. I didn't need to know that you went there and did...other things." Jack ran his hand down his face.

Heimdall shrugged, beginning to open to his father a bit. "I didn't see her for a long time. She works there only because she isn't paid enough. She really is the attendant for the seamstress shop." He admitted, and then with a smile, "Her name is Aoife."

"Oh! Oh! I know her. The little red-head?" He asked, and Heimdall gave a long, slow nod, "Aww she's adorable. You picked well."

"I'm pretty sure she's older than you, technically. So you calling her adorable is really, really, creepy, dad." Heimdall pleaded for him to stop.

"Would you stop seeing me as a seventeen year old? I have the mentality of a fifty year old man, just trapped in a teenager's body, okay? Age and I are not in the same plane of being." He snapped.

"It's hard to get over." Heimdall snorted.

"I understand." Jack stood, "Come with me." He said, and Heimdall looked unsure. Finally he followed his father to the kitchens. Jack turned on the light, and went to the fridge and came back with two glasses of red wine.

"I don't think Mom-," Heimdall began.

"I'm here, it's fine. You're a man now...or have been for a year or so anyway...so, have a drink with me." He said, pushing the goblet to Heimdall.

"So what now?" Heimdall asked after a long drink. The wine burned down, and he gasped.

Jack was calm and contemplative. He lifted the drink to his lips thoughtfully, sighing. "Well, have you tried talking to her?" He asked.

"I try to see her whenever I can. But it's hard to think of an excuse to visit a seamstress when you're a guy. Besides, she's just snappy and cold every time I see her. I tried giving her money, I guess I insulted her by assuming she liked the basement the second time I met her, but she refused and kicked me out."

"No, no." Jack agreed, "That was bound to fail. She's from Ireland. She is strong and stubborn and for sure doesn't want to look like a charity case. She still has her pride." Heimdall scoffed.

"I think the basement rids any girl of pride." He said viciously. Jack leaned over and cupped his ear.

"Hey! You most certainty won't get her like that." He said, and Heimdall gave an apologetic face.

"It's the wine." He said meekly, and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Look, I don't know how yet, but me and you will get this girl. I promise." He said, with a small smile. Heimdall looked surprise.

"You will?" He asked.

"Of course. I want to see you happy. That's all I want for my children." He said somberly.

"Will this make me happy?" Heimdall whimpered, totally free from his usual mask. Jack gave a long sigh.

"I don't know, buddy. It made me so happy, and I think it will for you too. If it doesn't, I'll still try and make you happy." He grinned, picking up Heimdall's wine glass and finished it off as he walked out the door, "That's what fathers do."


	27. Chapter 27

Elsa was at her wit's end. There was only so long that she could go without Jack at home having to deal with the children before she lost it. She knew Anna was just as ready to brutally murder a child. Jack had decided on his semi-annual 'winterize' trips, as he called them, to take Kristoff and Alfsol for a spin to bond with his 'brother' and newphew.

"Tonight. He comes back tonight." Elsa mouthed to Anna over dinner, where Cham, Rizpah, and Vienna were treating their food more like paint than a well-balanced meal. Anna groaned, half slamming her head into the table.

"And then we are calling a personal messue and letting the men deal with them all tomorrow." She moaned, pointing at her mass of children.

There was a loud bang from the foyer and the loud of men's laughter. Azura looked up form her book, "Dad's home!" She shouted and the whole table went to bedlam. All eighteen children thundered away to meet their father, leaving Anna and Elsa at the table that looked more like a war zone. The two sisters shared twin smiles and giggles.

"Small miracles, huh?" Elsa asked, standing and stretching.

"I feel like I need to sleep for a decade after that! In only two weeks, there's been a broken bone, three cuts, two scraped knees-," Anna began to list.

"Don't forget Rizpah broke that boy's nose, the triplets discovered the joys of an unlocked pantry, and Vienna accidentally spilled ink all over Xanthe's sketchbook." Elsa added to the list. Both woman shuddered. Anna cleaned her hands on a nearby towel, and smiled.

"Shall we meet our husbands from their long and tiring journey?" She asked with faux sympathy.

"Oh yes, they must be exhausted! And all we've done is watch their spawn for the last two weeks." Elsa agreed with a twittered reply.

"Exactly." The sisters arrived in the front hall to see Kristoff and Jack being attacked by children of all sizes.

"Calm down all of you!" Kristoff finally yelled, "If you're all over, how can I give you presents?" A sonic wave seemed to travel through the children who all stopped moving.

"Presents?" Eira squeaked, "From where? Where did you all go?" She asked.

"Darling, where didn't I go?" Jack asked, and threw down a large duffle bag, "Now line up- oldest to youngest to collect your spoils." He ordered, and Kristoff began searching through the bag to give to the first in line- Eloise.

"A gift from a different place for each of you, of course." He added.

"All different. Like snowflakes." Jack chuckled, looking into the mountainous bag of gifts that all the children peered around their older family to see.

"First, for Eloise." Kristoff said, pulling his eldest daughter to him, "A amber necklace from Poland." He said, holding up the smoky orange gem stone on the necklace. Eloise gasped in joy, and lifted her hair for her father to put it on. Even at nineteen, she still acted very much like a fun-loving teenage girl, much like her mother at that age. Of corse, Jack recalled, at nineteen her mother had Alfsol. He couldn't imagine sweet Eloise married off yet.

"Next is for Rin." He said, motioning to her. Eira looked confused.

"You skipped Hiemdall!" She cried. Heimdall looked hard at his father, and he gave him a comforting wink.

"Oh, Heimdall will get his gift later. It's a secret." He assured, motioning for Rin to come forward, "For my Rin, I have gotten you the most expensive and beautiful smelling fragrance set from France." He said, handing over a package of bottle lable 'Eau du parfum' or 'Eau du cologne.'

"Next is Eira. From Spain comes a set of beautiful spanish fans that the flamingo dancers use." Eira grinned and pulled one from the bag. She flashed in in front of her face.

"Ole!" She giggled, and Jack nodded, pushing her away for Xanthe to receive her gift. Kristoff had it ready.

And it went such like that. Xanthe got a delicate Venetian mask from Italy. Izo and Wynter got chocolate from the Netherlands (much to Elsa's annoyance). Rizpah and Cham got the best danishes, according to their father, fresh out of the oven that morning from Denmark. Azura received a intricately carved wooden box with a secret way to open it. Neela and Nevada were giddy with excitement when their father pulled out finely woven bundles of fabric from out east. Benar was gifted a set of painted wooden horses from Sweden. Berlio came forward slowly with a small grin on his face when Jack pulled out a knife from Finland, which Elsa attempted to confiscate from him quickly. Veinna was given a set of Russian nesting dolls. Lastly the triplets received fudge from Scotland. The children were occupied quickly by their new gifts, and for once not bugging their mothers for something to do.

Jack detached from the two burly men who were pulling Anna close and laughing with her about their adventures. Heimdall stood off to the side, anxiously waiting for his father's gift to him.

"Your hair has grown." Jack commented.

"I hope so." Per promise, since he turned 18 half a year ago, his mother could not touch his head and make him get a haircut. He wanted to grow it out long, to fit into a ponytail. It was nearly there, "Did you..." He asked. Jack threw him the small, parchment wrapped package.

"Straight from the homeland." He winked, "Are you going to do anything about it tonight?" He asked.

"No. It's too late now. I'd hoped you were home earlier but..." Heimdall shook his had, "Tomorrow as soon as I can." He sucked in a deep breath, "Im afraid. What if-," He started but his father cut him off.

"If what you've been telling me has worked, then you have nothing to worry about." He assured, "Get some sleep. You want to look your best tomorrow." He said. Heimdall nodded, turning around and waving goodnight to everyone.

Elsa came up behind Jack, hugging his waist.

"What was that about?" She asked, "What did you get him?"

"That's a secret between men, dear. But if it works, you'll know soon enough." Elsa frowned at how vague he was.

"If what works? Know what?" She questioned.

"Shhhh..." Jack winked, pressing a finger to her lips, "All in due time, my queen." He assured, "Now why don't we have some wine from Italy, cheese from France, and chocolates I brought back and you tell me about your two weeks." He said.

Elsa grinned and let him bring everything to her on a silver platter in front of the fire in the main room.

"So, how did Wynter break his arm exactly?" He asked as he sipped the wine.

"This is delicious." Elsa moaned with contentment, "And he is so your son." She groaned, "He thought it would be so much fun to climb out onto the roof with Xanthe and make it snow below them. The idiot probably saw you do it. You give the children bad habits." She muttered.

"Hmm. Yes, that dose sound like something I would do." He agreed, "And the cuts?"

"Well, the usual. Nevada trying to cut herself some sausage and the knife slipped, Rizpah and Cham got in a pushing fight and Cham fell into some china, and Eira thought it would be just a wonderful idea to steal a pair of old scissors and give Neela a haircut. Neela freaked out at the last second, and the scissors nicked her ear. You would have thought she was murdered!" Elsa chuckled.

"Sounds like an exciting week. Now what I'm most curious to hear about is Rizpah and this boy's nose." He said, smirking. Elsa broke into fits of laughter.

"This is just...oh, you have no idea." She gasped in between, "This is a story that she'll be telling her grandchildren one day!"

"And maybe me too since it seems you're too caught up in the memory to inform me." Jack said, poking her stomach in an attempt to ease her laughter.

"No, no. I can tell it." She stifled her laughters with a piece of cheese, "It wasn't even a village boy. It was the son of a visiting trade partner."

"Which one." He leaned forward. Elsa gave a sly smirk.

"The Southern Isles." She said, "Of course. It was Han's youngest son, none the less." She added.

"Hans got married? Someone had kids with that man? Ew. That's a mental image I didn't need." Jack recoiled in disgust.

"That's what I thought too!" Elsa cried, "Anyway he came with one of his uncles. He's just a year older than Rizpah, thirteen. His name is...oh, what was it. I don't know how important that was anyway." She dismissed after a moment, "Anyway, I don't really know what happened because they were alone, but I guess that the kid made an awful comment about Anna first, not knowing that Rizpah was her daughter, and Rizpah made just a vugal comment about his dad. Then, he tried to hit Rizpah and the little fire beast actually knew how to aim and got him square in the nose. When we came in there was blood everywhere."

"Really?" Jack asked, not quite belieing it.

"Yes!" Elsa giggled, "I expected his uncle to be furious with Rizpah, so I started to tell her off but he stopped me. He said that if his nephew who was a whole year older was beaten up by a girl, then he should be ashamed of himself." Elsa repeated with a smile, closing her eyes and leaning into the chair, "It was so unexpected! And Rizpah just looked like she'd eaten the bird and the creme too. Like her ego needs to be any bigger." She chuckled.

"I wish I could have been there." Jack gasped, running his fingers though his white hair.

"So did Anna. Best she wasn't though, she may have given the kid something to bring him to his father. Probably some nasty words." Elsa decided. She smiled in the afterglow of the thought, and set her food down. Jack set his too, and switched couches to sit by her. It didn't turn in to just sitting though. Slowly, he leaned in and pushed her against the cushions of the couch.

"Really?" Elsa chuckled, "Are we going to do this again? I believe this is the bad luck chair, Mr. Frost." She leaned up and nuzzled his nose.

"The chair had nothing to do with it. Giving you triplets is all me, remember? Just too much awesome to put into one kid." He assured. Elsa sighed, and Jack trailed a hand down her waist.

"I love you Jack." She said in sudden seriousness. Jack paused, frowning.

"Well of course I love you too." He said, leaning down and attempting to kiss her.

"I didn't finish. While I love you, absoutlely the triplets were the last kids, and I'm serious. I just can't afford to risk it. Soo..." She pushed him off playfully, shrugging innocently.

"Aw, you're just going to cut me off?" He groaned, "Honestly, do you think Anna's that cruel to Kristoff?" He pleaded.

"I don't know. I've never asked." She admitted.

"Then ask your sister. This is cruel and unusual punishment right here, queen, and I- as your king- will not stand for it." He said in an animalistic growl, "Maybe...I could...change your mind...just...for...tonight..." He whispered against her skin, trailing his fingers up, "I always miss you terribly when I'm away. When I really miss you, there's blizzards and chaos in some places. It's unhealthy. Maybe you should come with me next-,"

"Stop talking, Frost, and act on your words." Elsa hissed, tugging in head down and pulling him against her.

He gave a triumphant snicker.

"Knew it would work."


	28. Chapter 28

Heimdall was up before the roster crowed. To be honest, he didn't sleep at all. He had just laid in bed all night, tucking the parcel beneath his pillow. He checked it periodically to assure it was still there, unbroken, perfect. He knew that he should get some sleep, but he was too nervous and excited all at once and when the very first rays of the sun peeked up and through his window, he already had his best on.

The morning was gray and dull, and a little overcast, but it all seemed bright in his vision. He said 'Good Morning' to everyone he passed, most who responded warily and with surprise. He made two crucial stops along the way- first to the flower shop where he choose the most delicate and beautiful of roses, which he tucked carefully from view into the inner secret part of his coat. Secondly, he stopped by a bakery and picked up some fresh breakfast. He passed Kai's house on the way; he knew his best friend wanted him to see him that morning, but he feared if he went in, he'd lose the courage to come back out.

The door dinged at the shop of his main destination.

"You're back again?"

"Did you miss me?" Heimdall asked, giving the girl behind a counter the bag, "Good morning, Aoife."

Aolife gave a small smile. "I may keep you around just for the food. Everyday, without fail. But it's so early for you, Prince Charming, usually I don't see your tired eyes until lunch." She commented, searching him for a sign of this unusual visit.

"I was already up." He said. Aoife, who was sitting down on the top of the counter, and breaking into a doughnut, paused.

"Oh? For what?" She asked.

"You." He replied smoothly, taking half of the doughnut. Aoife's face flushed brightly, and she bit her lip as she looked down at the wood, as if it were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Oh, I'm nothing much that much effort, Prince." She said with a chuckle.

"You know you like me around." He said haughtily, and leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips before she could protest. Her answer was stuttered out hastily.

"It gets lonely here...and you are...everyday...I..." Her face turned as bright as her hair. He wiggled his eyebrows.

"You know you enjoy that too." He said, coming around to stand in front of her, "I like you, Aoife."

Aoife sensed how serious everything had turned, and pulled her legs into a cross on the counter. "I do like you around, Heimdall. I've never felt so bright. You really changed how I thought about you." She admitted.

"Well, my persistence was bound to pay off sometime." He said with a gentle chuckle, remembering how he'd come in as often as he could, trying to get her to talk, until it became an everyday thing. It was only recently he brought her food, though, and she seemed to really enjoy it.

"You were so desperate. How could I refuse?" She asked.

"Oh, come on. You're attracted to me."

Aoife thought. "Well, I do agree, that if I had to have any awkward sexual encounter with a royal family member, I'm glad it's you." He had never brought up that night, so long ago, when they were both so young. She seemed like a child at that time, and had grown into a real woman since. He was immensely glad that over time, he'd convinced her to stop going there, and just encouraged more fabrics to be bought from the store. They'd kissed a little, but nothing like what hadn't really been them, not in the way they were now.

This was, in fact, the first time she had ever said anything about it. There was a venerability in her face, and Heimdall cupped one cheek. "It was the best night of my life. I gave you everything, and I have never a regret." He assured her.

"I wish I could have given you that too." She said roughly, full of heavy regret. Heimdall knew that this was the opening he'd been waiting for. He pulled the rose out, cautiously.

"There is still a first you can give me, and I can give you, if you'll let me." He said, handing her the rose and pulling her down to the center of the room. She looked shocked, and accepted it.

"What? A rose? I don't under-," All her questions died on her lips when he knelt down and pulled out the box his father had gotten him from Ireland.

"Aoife, I have dreamed of you always. I feel like your an angel that I have been so lucky to meet. Aoife, who loves the color green because it reminds her of home and the smell of fresh rain, who eats her sandwiches with mayo only on one side of the bun, and who has admitted to kicking people in her sleep. But I will happily have bruised ribs and sleep on the floor, and make you your sandwiches just the way you like if you promise to be mine forever. My first, and only love. Will you marry me?"

Aoife squealed, taking in a short gasp and slamming her hands to her lips. "That looks like a claddagh ring."

"Picked up by the king in Ireland just yesterday. But it's not really- it's only engraved here. The rest is the celtic weave that means lovers and forever." He said softly.

"I know, oh I know that!" She squeaked, examining the ring, "Oh, I haven't said anything. Odin, Heimdall, yes!" She cried, almost knocking him over in her joy. She was almost crying as he slid the ring onto her finger, and he was floating on a cloud.

"I think it's time for you to meet the King and Queen." He whispered after she calmed down.

FROZEN

Just as Jack expected, Heimall returned with the widest grin he'd ever seen on his son's face, with a blushing girl who was tripping over her own dress in nervousness. The dainty red-head clung to his son like she was walking into a lion's den, and Jack caught the glimmer of gold on her finger.

"Elsa, sweetie. We have some company." He said, poking her with a toe across the span of the two chairs facing each other.

She looked up, and peered out the window. "Heimdall has a girl with him?" She gaped, dropping her book in shock. She looked at Jack, "You knew about this." She deduced. Jack held up his hands.

"Hey; sometimes a guy has to have his secrets." He said, "And you'll like her." He assured, leaning over and rubbing her arms.

The children gathered on the sides of the halls, whispering about the girl who walked through them.

"Is she here to give us new clothes, Heimdall?" One of his sisters asked. Heimdall replied by shoving her against a wall.

"Oh, shut it. You'll find out soon enough." Everyone was shut out from the door where their parents sat, waiting to meet the beauty. Jack was up first, and he took her hand in his own, shaking it hard. He didn't even question if she could see him or not, and was more than relieved to discover that she blushed.

"King Jack." She said, trying to get away to curtsy, "Even younger and unreal than they say." She said.

"Ah some say flattery will get you nowhere, but I rather disagree." Jack smirked, "Dear?" He turned. Elsa stood. Aoife was able to curtsy this time, and her nose nearly touched the floor.

"You're the girl from the seamstress." Elsa said, and put a finger on her back, meaning she could rise, "I'm Elsa."

"I know that, m'queen." Aoife stood, and Elsa's sharp eyes caught what glimmered on her fingers. She snatched the hand up.

"Heimdall...?"

"That's what I was about to say. Meet my fiancee, Aoife." Even at eighteen, Heimdall blushed a brilliant shade of red under his mother's scrutinizing glare.

"I've never met her before." She said, "Not like this. How long have you two known each other."

"It's not like the stories of Princess Anna, if that's what you're curious about." Aoife said shyly, "He's been with me for a year." She said, extending it for the Queen's sake.

"Well, that's a relief." Elsa seemed to calm after that, "No eloping for any of my children."

"Why don't we all sit? I can get us some food while we discuss important things now." Jack suggested, pulling up an armchair for his son and future daughter.

Elsa nodded. "Right, right. Let me go and get the cook." Elsa said, for once, feeling very unprepared for what was looking her in the face. She felt a little broken; her baby had proposed to a girl she'd never met. And Jack had known. Didn't the mother have a right to know? She found the cook preparing lunch, and asked that her's, Jack's, Heimdall's, and an extra were sent to the fireplace room.

When she returned, Jack was regaling the girl some story from his most recent travels, making her laugh. It was a little unnerving to see Jack sitting next to her; they looked almost the same age. It was only when Jack looked at her that she saw not the eyes of a seventeen year old, but of an old wise master.

"Food will be here shortly. Jack? Will you step out for a moment with me?" She asked.

"Why?" He asked, frowning. Elsa gave a side glance to Aoife, which unfortunately was not as settle as she'd hoped.

"Anything about my fiancee you can say in front of all of us." Heimdall said with a challenged growl.

"Right. Now isn't a good time to start keeping secrets." Jack agreed, and Elsa felt outnumbered and very frustrated.

"Fine." She said with a hard edge, "I'm sure that Aoife is a beautiful girl, Heimdall, but you are the heir and therefore can't marry just anyone." She said. Heimdall scowled.

"You married someone not of royal blood." He jabbed a finger at his father.

"He is immortal, and that was royal and special enough." Elsa disagreed. Jack cleared his throat, a smirk on his lips.

"If I may cut in?" Jack asked. Elsa turned.

"What, Jack?" She asked in a clipped tone. Jack stood, brushing off his coat.

"I did a little digging when I was in Ireland." He said, shrugging, "I was just curious. While I was there, even though Aoife's family has lived in or near Arendelle for about fifty years, she is a descendant of the Byrne family, even though her grandpa had his last name changed to Brunne when they moved here. Bryne is one of the most known surnames, and her family was related to the chieftain. Was she direct royalty, not exactly, but it is in her blood." He paused, "Isn't that enough?" He asked his wife.

Elsa was already consulting an old traditional book. There was a couple excruciating moments before Elsa slammed the book close. "Welcome to the family, Aoife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elsa's a little crazy about how long her children have known people...not after what happened with Anna and all before...ugg..  
> And I guess if I had wanted to incorporate the big four into my story (Rapunzel and Hiccup appear loosely later) Then I should have made Aoife a descendant of Merida...but she's Scottish. And I really wanted Aoife to be Irish. Meh. I'll find another place to squeeze Merida in. It won't be like Merida walking around or anything...let's be realisic here.
> 
> And Heimdall basically stalking Aoife until she liked him? Well that's sorta how I got my boyfriend to like me. Back when I was a sophomore, I really invested about five months getting him to like me back. At the time, it didn't seem like that long at ALL but now that I look back on it, people comment about how patient I was (I really was, I didn't push it at all...I just made progress every day). And we're still happily together :) So I mean, stalking people doesn't always work (Trust me, I had a stalker my freshman year) but sometimes, it does. But they hopefully don't see it as stalking.


	29. Chapter 29

Jack awoke with a single thought; the castle was made for big families. Even before he was fully conscious, he heard the pitter-pattering of his children running through them with delighted giggles. He lay in bed, unmoving, listening to the symphony of a castle full of color and light. He heard the servants already going around to make the children's beds and tidy their rooms, the cooks chopping up the breakfast buffet, and the soft neighing of the horses as people came and left. It was hardly seven AM and the whole castle was already awake.

Elsa woke with the same thought; the castle was made for big families. It was moments in the silence that she really loved her children. She could hear them up and around, and for once no one was looking for her. When she had told Jack she wanted a big family, she could have never phantomed that there would be 13. Plus Anna and Kristoff's family, plus Heimdall's wife of now three months Aoife.

She recalled being a child herself, and how dull and lifeless the castle was. Every hall was gray, there was no light, and only three people working anywhere. Her parents were always there, but it was hard to rule from inside a castle with no one ever in or out. She hardly heard any noise. She was alone in the wide room for the heir, with no friends and no warmth. Now, she knew that when she walked out the doors of her room, she would be met with about twenty different things to do, children to care to, and life things to deal with.

But for now, she curled over at the same time her husband did, and noted he was wide awake too. "Morning, love." He whispered.

There was a tapping. At first, Elsa was irritated, thinking it was their door. No one was allowed to bother them until they came out, unless they woke at a very unreasonable time. They never did, though, so there was no reason someone should be summoning them. But Jack's eyes burrowed together, and he raised himself up and looked over her shoulder.

"Gavner?" He jumped out of bed, and threw on a robe. Elsa looked to the window of their bedroom, on the first floor, and stifled a scream to see Jack's best friend tapping at their window. She to grabbed her robe from beside her bed and did her best to be dressed moderately before she descended to the floor. Jack was already unhinging the window to let him in.

"Can't you use the door like a normal person?" Elsa sighed in frustration, turning to braid her hair.

"Maybe I"m just nostalgic..." There was something about his voice, and Elsa turned to see his eyes puffy and he looked positively old. Much older, and much darker.

"What's wrong?" She and Jack asked in unison.

"Where's Heloise? Wasn't she supposed to be back from her trip last night?" Jack asked, referring to his wife, "Where are the girls? Kai? Are they okay?" He gripped his friend's shoulders, and Gavner just broke in front of them.

"Something happened to the carriage. Hit a bump, I don't know. She fell into a river and hit a rock. They say she died instantly." Gavner said, head low, and his shoulders shuddered.

"Oh no." Elsa gasped, brining her fingers to her lips.

"I can't go back home, Jack. I can't. It was her house. She was the one who built it from the ground. She was the one that furnished every corner with whimsical things that I would have never brought into the house, but when she did, it was like it was meant to be there. She was the one who raised our children when I was at meeting or the store. Everywhere I turn, I see her ghost. I see her cooking, or laughing while she re-arranged the bookshelf, or sneaking up behind me to kiss my neck but when I look she's not there." Gavner was a wreck. He seemed to turn into a puddle, and wiped his tears away. He straightened his back.

"I guess I'll find a hotel, and I don't know...the kids are with my mother now, I already told them. They don't know that I don't want to go back there. It's not really home with Heloise." He said.

"Nonsense!" Elsa said, "You'll stay with us. As long as you need to."

"Hell, forever if you want." Jack agreed, sighing in relief. He was about to offer the same thing, but was glad his wife beat him to it so he didn't have to then ask her permission after lifting his hopes and dreams.

"What?" Gavner seemed caught off guard, "I couldn't..."

"Gavner." Elsa stood him up, and put both her hands on his shoulders, steadying him, "The kids have been calling you 'Uncle Gavner' since they could talk. Your children come in and out of the castle like they live here. You are family to us, and we could never turn family away. We have a smaller wing where dignitaries stayed for long periods of time.

Four bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. You can have there." She assured.

"I...I don't know what to say." Gavner said, almost falling in joy once again.

"Say you're going to go back and tell the kids to pack their things and be here for eight A.M breakfast." Jack said, clapping his old friend on the back.

"I will. I will." Gavner agreed.

Jack walked him to the door, and whispered once they were out of earshot, "And no orange juice for you. I'll have the coldest and best ale waiting, just to be nostalgic like you said, right?" He said with warmth, and Gavner gave him the saddest smile he'd ever seen.

"My world would be a darker place had my mother not read me bedtime stories of Jack Frost." He said simply, and left.

"Well, that is an unexpected start to the morning." Elsa took off her robe and was searching through her closet for clothing, "I'll tell them to set four extra places."

"I just feel horrible for him. It was so unexpected." Jack sighed, knowing that he should be getting dressed as well.

"I know. Kai's old enough to be okay, but the girls..." Elsa shook her head, "13 and 9, aren't they?"

Jack did the math in his head. "Yeah, yeah." He said twice.

"I was much older when I lost my parents, so I know when I say, that that is much too young to lose any parent. Especially a mother." She said, wrapping her arms around herself, "It's hard to become a woman without her."

"But now they have you." Jack kissed her forehead, "Let's go and tell the chef to make extra." He said, pulling on a simple pair of trousers and a cleanly pressed button down shirt.

As soon as he opened the door to their room, the attendant began bombarding Elsa with her and Jack's own schedules for the day. Elsa held up her hand, "Not now, Dunbar. There has been a tragedy, and I will resume this after breakfast. Do you understand?" The little man looked taken back.

"Of course m'lady." He murmured, "But what tragedy?"

"Gavner's wife died last night, suddenly." Jack replied, and Dunbar paled.

"Oh, what a night, the poor man." Dunbar said, "Do you wish me to postpone the morning meeting until he is ready to be an active member again?" He questioned.

"That may be months. He lost his love." Elsa shook her head, "Post-pone it until this afternoon, but we will not expect or ask him to attend." She decided.

"Very will. I will inform everyone. When should the meetings be pushed back as well?" He asked.

"I will see people at 11 today, Dunbar. Re-arrange wherever necessary."

It was quite the buzz throughout the castle. Elsa and Jack gathered everyone and asked that they be on their best behavior this morning, and not make a fuss about it a lot. They didn't need sorries, they needed company.

"Are we clear?" Jack asked sternly, looking each child in the eye.

"Yes father." Came the replies.

"Good." Jack clapped his hands, "Now who's hungry?"

No matter what was going on, no matter what was planned for the day, every Monday morning was a family breakfast. And by family, it was everyone. Kristoff and Anna's, Elsa and Jack, Aoife and Heimdall (although Elsa really hoped they wouldn't be a family yet, she didn't know if she was ready to be a grandmother), and some of their closest workers were occasionally invited. Now, there was four extra people sitting unfortunately in the middle of the table. The talk was a little whispered, making it a complete and unnerving silence.

Heimdall was doing a great job of keeping Kai entertained. To him, it was like having his best friend over for a permeant sleepover. The girls had not become quite as close like the boys were, but the ones around their age did their best to keep them company.

Thirteen year old Elira was hitting it off with Rizpah, as the girls giggled and talked about devious things. Elira was the more outgoing out of the pair of sisters, and Gavner described her as a troublemaker in sheep's wool.

Little Artia was a year older than Neela and Nevada, and the two twin sisters were trying to engage her in talks of fashion, which she didn't seem all too interested in. She seemed just a little overwhelmed and shocked at it all, and for once Elsa was not enjoying the family breakfast.

"Rin?" She asked, and heard nothing from her daughter, "Rin?" She turned to catch the attention, and saw her daughter pushing the food around her plate, trying not to be obvious that she was stealing glances at Kai. Elsa gave a gentle scoff, and nudged Jack who was stuffing eggs in his mouth.

"What? No." He whispered back, "She's too young."

"Oh, it's just a crush I'm sure. Harmless." Elsa giggled, brushing his hand.

"Not allowed." He grumbled, glaring at Rin who was longingly staring at her older brother's best friend.

"I told you this day would come." Elsa teased, and Jack locked his jaw. Jack ate the remainder of his breakfast with the expression and tensed motions of someone not eating food but violently stabbing someone to death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A 'cool dad'. Whatta bout that Jack ;)  
> Artia (ah-TEE-ah): Gaelic. Means 'bear' or 'stone'
> 
> Elira: Albanian. Meaning Free.


	30. Chapter 30

Luckily for Jack, much of Rin's longing was kept secret. She would try to not be obvious she was following him around, hang on his every word, and whenever they were in the same area, her attention was not owned by anyone but him. Jack didn't like it, but he couldn't tell her to stop things that she was so careful to not be known.

"I think we need to take a day off everything." Elsa said two months later. Things had been crazy, and she felt like she hadn't seen much of her family at all. She didn't know how her eldest son and wife were (great, happily in love), if Rin still puppied over Kai (of course), if Neela was still wearing pink (she really didn't have any other color in her closet, so logically, yes)- she felt like a stranger in her own house.

"Tomorrow maybe?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Make all the arrangements. Tell Anna and Kristoff clan to be there, same with Heimdall, Aoife, and Gavner's family. Everyone." Elsa said, "I have a plan."

Jack sighed, watching his wife disappear to deal with 'pressing matters'. "Sure honey." He called, annoyed that even he was kept out of her secret plan.

The next morning, Jack counted heads outside the drawbridge of the castle. 27 including himself, and all they were waiting for was Elsa. The little ones were getting antsy. Elsa appeared late, of course, the last there.

"What are we all doing out in the snow, Elsa?" Anna asked, adjusting her cape.

"Some fun." Elsa replied, garnering a scoff from Anna, who seemed to think the statement impossible. Elsa gave her a very evil glare.

"What sort of fun?" Jack asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"We have to get there first." She said, and motioned to the carriages, "Pile in everyone." There was a bit of grumbling, a bit of confusion, a bit of annoyance as twenty-eight people squished into three carriages, Elsa sitting up by the head of it all, chatting ambically with the driver. She pulled them out into the forest of the land, and Kristoff gave a sigh.

"Feels like home." He commented. Still after all the years of living in the castle, he couldn't forget the smell of evergreens or the feeling of warming up next to a wood fire in a small house. When all their children were grown and he and Anna were old, they had promised each other they would build a little log cabin and spend the remainder of their time in his homeland. It had been a year since he'd managed to be out here.

"Elsa! This is great!" He said, sticking his head out of the window. Elsa chuckled.

"I knew you'd be with me on this one!" She said, leaning over and giving him a high-five. She stopped the carriages in the middle of a meadow covered in fresh, fluffy snow. She waved good-bye to the carriages, and there were still 27 confused people, but one of them was a very enthusiastic and happy Kristoff. "We should have brought Sven and Olaf!" He cried.

"One step a head of you." She winked and snapped her fingers. Olaf shot out of the woods riding on Sven. He stopped at Gavner's girls.

"I don't know you. I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs." He said.

"It talks!" They both cried, and Artia leaned over to give him a hug.

"We are going to play hide and seek...in the snow. Boundaries are until that mountain to the left, the lake to the right, the trading center in front of us, and the path back home behind us. But because it is winter, to make it fair, anyone non magical will be paired up with a magical person...who will be blindfolded." She pulled out thirteen blindfolds, and the majority of her children moaned.

"Two non-magical people will be the searchers. When you are found, they can either send you back here or ask you to help search. Last couple of people left standing will get to have Jack take them anywhere in the world they want." Most eyes gleamed at the prize.

"Do we have to play?" Eloise questioned.

"Yes." Anna said, "It sounds...well, fun." She admitted.

"Who decides the teams." Heimall asked his mother shrewdly. Elsa blinked.

"Well me of course. And it would be no fun if Aoife was with you," She turned to the red-head, "I hope you don't mind."

"I'm fine with that. He's not good at hiding. He would only slow me down." She said, winking at him, "And he would complain about tripping over things. Actually, can I be the searcher?"

"Wondeful! Yes. Who would like to volunteer with her?" She asked, searching faces. All the children looked down. Finally, Gavner rolled his eyes.

"I may not be the youngest, but I don't need to go anywhere. I'll search with her." He came up to stand by Aoife and Elsa. Aoife shook his hand.

"Welcome, partner."

"Okay, not split up magic vs non-magic. Olaf, Sven, you'll be magical. But clearly I don't expect you guys to cover blindfold yourself. It's going to be hard enough to hide a reindeer." She began to scan the two groups, "Hmm...Xanthe and Benar. Sven and Rizpah. Olaf and Cham. Jack with Caldwell. Wynter and Anna. Azura and Colbourne. Neela and Eloise. Berlio and Alfsol. Vienna with Artia. Caulton and Nevada. Heimdall with Elira." She said, handing out blindfolds. Heimdall's face dropped and he looked at his friend Kai.

Elsa smirked. "Well, four left, two magical people that need partners." She looked at Rin, whose face was the brightest red she'd ever seen. If Jack could help Heimdall, she could help Rin. Was the whole game a scheme to get the two alone together? No, but it really helped.

"Well, let's put Kai with Rin." She said, and Rin's face turned even darker.

"What? Why couldn't he be with me?" Heimdall protested.

"Yeah! Why couldn't he be with Heimdall?" Jack asked, glaring at his wife.

"Nope. No switches." She said, handing Rin a blue blindfold, "Take care of her, Kai."

"Yes m'am." Kai stuttered, looking at his friend and wondering why he'd been singled out.

"So that leaves Kristoff, Eira, and Izo." She clapped her hand, "Who wants to be with the queen? How about you, Kristoff. We'll have our own journey." She chuckled, "I'm stealing your husband for the day, Anna!" She called out.

"Take him. You'll probably lose him to the trees, hugging them and apologizing for leaving." She snickered.

"That leaves Eira and Izo as a team alone. To make it more fair, you guys can start early. That begins now!" She cried, and Eira grabbed Izo's hand.

"C'mon Iz, I know exactly where we'll go." She said. Elsa counted five minutes and then patted Kristoff's back. "We're ready. Give us...ten minutes guys?" She asked Gavner and Aoife.

"Will do!" The cheery Irish girl gave her mother-in-law a thumbs up, "I will find you Heimdall." She, winking.

"Where to, oh queen?" Kristoff asked.

"You know these woods best." She said.

"Right. I played hide and seek here often as a child." He admitted, "Although I don't know how many places I'll still fit."

"We'll see what we can do." Elsa said, looking around, "They won't ever find us!"

Farther away, Rin was stumbling around blind, with Kai's steady hands leading her. "I have no idea where we're going." He sighed.

"I don't know either. Just tell me when to-,"

"DUCK!" Kai said, pushing Rin's head down to avoid knocking the princess out by a low hanging branch.

"Exactly." Rin said, gathering herself.

"I think I see a cave over here." Kai said, straying away from Rin's side for a second to peer around a large stone slab.

"Is that too obvious though?" Rin questioned.

"I'm not sure." There was a pause from Kai, "So...if we win, where are you going?" He asked.

"France. Paris." Rin answered imediatly, "I've always wanted to go there. Every time my dad leaves, he brings me back something from there. It helps, but it's not the same. You?" She asked.

"America." He breathed, "I want to go and live over there one day. I hear that there's lots of jobs, and it's just so new." He said.

"Live in America?" Rin questioned with a little surprise and slight disappointment, "Really?"

"Yeah!" He said, "I would be already gone, but I feel like I should stick around a while for dad. He's just a wreck you know. Doesn't know how to raise two girls either way. I think I'll be here for a bit." He said, kicking a stone hard with frustration, "I can't get mad though."

"I can't imagine wanting to live in America. We're not bad off here." She said.

"You also live in a castle." He replied sourly.

"So do you now." She countered.

"I'm not meant to be a kingdom kid." He argued, "If we squeeze behind this log, we can hardly be seen. Obscure enough?" He asked. Rin thought about it, sighing.

"Yes. I suppose so." She let herself be squished into the behind, her back rubbing uncomfortably against a tree, "What I do for Paris." She muttered to herself.

Farther away, Aoife thought she was doing rather well in her searching. She had found Olaf and a frustrated Cham, as it seemed Olaf didn't understand the concept of hide and seek. Olaf was sent back to the center, because he would let everyone know she was coming from a mile away. Cham was sent back too, but only so Olaf didn't feel bad.

The, after, she had found Neela and Eloise bickering in the middle of the forest, no hiding place even attempted. What had they been arguing about? Where to hide. Eloise and Neela were both kept out, but she sent Eloise to go help Gavner who was searching to the north and west, and Neela for herself.

"Eloise thinks she's soooo good at this game. She is such a bossy pants." Neela groaned when Aoife took off her blindfold, "She made me run into a stone! It hurt! Look!" There was a small bump on her head where she had pointed, and Aoife winced.

"It just looks it will bruise. No blood." She said, patting Neela's snow white hair.

"I don't care! She's no fun. I wish I could have been with anyone else." She grumbled.

"Well, now you can help me make everyone else loose by finding them." Aoife said, "How about that."

"Fine." Neela said sourly, "But only because you put it like that."

For being a team of a ten year old and a three year old, Azura thought it was going pretty well. She, in her little mind, wasn't sure why her mother didn't put her with someone older, but it was all in good fun. Sure, it was hard being blindfolded and having to tug along a little kid, but they had settled themselves in a small cavern, and it seemed they could sleep the day away without worry of being caught. And Azura could feel everything around her in super-sonic definiton. It was weird.

"Boring." Colborne complained.

"Shh. You don't want them to find us, do you?" She asked. She settled back, turning away from from her youngest brother, trying to ignore all the sounds she could hear around her and try to sleep. If her mother was going to wake her so early, then she at least should get a nap in.

"Azura." Colbourne whispered after a long period of silence, "Azura!" He shook her shoulder frantically.

"What?" She snapped in a low whisper.

"I heard something."

"We can hear everything when we're quite. And that's specific, isn't it?" She rolled her eyes.

"No. Something scary." He whimpered.

"It's just your imagination." She rolled her eyes. Then, she stiffened because very close to them was a resounding scream of some mountain cat. She began to smell everything around her, and her pulse quickened. Had they accidentally made their hiding place in the cave of a wild cat?

She didn't care about rules, she tore the blindfold away. She gathered her younger brother next to her, and pushed them to the very end crevice of the cave. Outside, there paced the cat. Her whole body was shaking, and she realized she didn't know how to fix this. Should she yell? Cry? Stay silent? Tears leaked from her eyes as she took in heaving breaths that were muffled by her hand. Colbourne gave a nearly inaudible squeak.

"Shh!" She clamped her other hand over his mouth, but it was too late. The cat slinked inside, and she was so close she could feel the heat coming from the cat's pelt, could smell the pungent stench of rotting animals on it's fangs, and see the way it's eyes glowed in the dark.

They were doomed. She had never been so afraid in her life.

"Ice magic." Her brother whispered, reminding her of her power.

She was so afraid, she forgot how to. She didn't want to tell him she couldn't, because it would be the end of them. So she stayed frozen, petrified, and waited desperately for her knowledge to return. She'd never done it to hurt anything. Would she be able to?

She pressed her hand against the dirt, hoping that around her fingers the ground would fractilize with ice, but all it did was get mud under her finger nails. The beast seemed not to see them, but to be laying down. If they were fast enough, maybe the could run.

Colbourne sneezed.

The cat roared, and Azura pushed him up. "Run Col! Run!" She cried, and shoved him out of the cave. They made it into the fresh snow, and the cat leapt out after them. The claws caught on Colbourne's pants, and he screamed as he tripped and fell.

"No!" Azura threw her hands out and hoped ice came out. There was. It let go of Colbourne and turned to Azura, the girl who had threw very cold ice on it's pelt. She realized her mistake as she stumbled back against a cold stone. She threw out her hands, and aimed for the eyes of the beast. Scrambling away, she didn't know where Colboune was but hoped he was in front of her as she just tried to keep the beast at bay. In on frantic attempt, she looked up and saw hainging icicles that seemed dangerous. She put one hand at the lion and one hand at the icicles and closed her eyes and forced the most powerful ice she could.

She heard two things at once. Firstly was the animal in pain on the ground, and the second was Colbourne crying.

"Col!" She gasped, pulling him to her. He was crying hard and covering his eyes.

"It hurts!"

"Did the lion get you? Col! Answer me!" She said, shaking him. He just bawled, and woultn't move his hands from his eyes. She picked him up and began running as fast as she could.

"Help! Someone help! I'm not joking! Please!" She turned in all directions, tears streaming down her face.

"I swear to god, Azura if this is some fake ploy I'm going to-," Heimdall came out with Elira at his heels, but stopped when he saw Azura and Colbourne.

"What happened?" He asked, taking his baby brother from Azura's arms.

"Mountain lion...He won't stop crying...I think it scratched his eyes...he's not bluh-bleeding though...He's hurt!" Azura blubbered, and Heimdall cussed.

"I don't think it was the lion." He moaned, "We have to find mom or Kristoff." He said. The broke into the clearing, and he saw Elsa sitting on a rock, laughing with Eloise.

"Mom!" He said, and Elsa was standing in a flash.

"What happened?" She cried, "My Colbourne!"

Heimdall told the story from what he gathered as swiftly as he could, because Azura was crying to hard to say anything. When he finished, there was a pregnant pause, "I don't think it was the mountain lion. I think it was..." He cut off, trying not to look so obviously at his sister.

"We need to get to Pabbie." Elsa said, "Call off the game. Send everyone on their way home. Unless you find Jack, then tell him to find Kristoff and come and find us." She said to Heimdall.

"Mom! What's wrong. Why's he hurt." Azura wiped her eyes. Elsa gave a grimace.

"Why don't you come with me, dear." She offered, knowing that Pabbie would be calmer in telling her what she may have done, as accidental as it was.

Elsa ran as fast as she could, and as fast as she knew Azura could keep up. She reached a center with lots of rocks. "Pabbie! Pabbie, please come out." She cried.

"Mom...these are rocks." Azura said, sobering up a bit, and frowning.

"Pabbie, please, it's Queen Elsa." Elsa sounded broken, and she fell to the ground, still holding the three-year-old hard against he chest. Azura jumped back as the rocks moved, and little creatuers appeared.

"Elsa! Haven't seen you in quite some time." He said fondly, but then his voice grew dark when he saw her son, "What happened?"

Azura peeked out behind her mother's back. "I was trying to protect him from a mountain lion. I think it scratched his eyes." She peeped. Pabbie's eyes grew light with understanding.

"Did you maybe hit him with your magic, you can do magic, right?" He asked. Azura nodded.

"I don't think I did, but it all happened so fast...I was so afraid!" She said, burrowing into her mother's robes.

"You were very brave. How old are you, dear?" He asked. She sniffled.

"Ten."

"Ah, not many ten year olds can best a mountain lion, but you are not trained enough to aim, I think. Where was he hit?" He aimed the question at Elsa. She lay him down.

"The eyes." She said, "Is it..."

"I'm not sure." Pabbie said, "Can I look?" He asked the boy, who was reduced to painful whimpers. He lifted each hand one at a time, then looked up at Elsa. His expression was not one filled with good news.

"His left eye is beyond hope." He said, lifting he left hand up to show his mother a milky and scary looking bulb where he used to see, "His right eye though...well I'll do what I can, but at best, he won't see more than shadowed shapes, and that's if my magic is accepted." Pabbie said. Elsa stifled a sob. He pulled sun down into a ball, and Azura began to cry.

"Did I do this? Mom, did I make him go blind? I didn't mean to! I swear!" She asked in a rush.

"Honey, we know that. It's not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't' have put two children so young together. Don't blame yourself." She insisted, "You were brave, and without what you did, you might have died." Elsa insisted. She looked at Pabbie.

"I don't want him to hate his sister his whole life. Can you...erase the memory?" She asked. Pabbie shook his head.

"Not needed. He's so young, he won't really remember anyway. It was so traumatic. He may remember a vague idea of what it was like to see, but I suspect that it will be like he was born as this. Perhaps, if he had been older, it would have been easier to save." Pabbie said.

Elsa tried not to cry, but pulled her two children close and let them cry against her. She hadn't hated her magic so much as she did in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Siiigh, I know. Another sort of tragedy. But things can't be happy for this family forever, and eventually one kid would get really hurt with the ice magic, even on accident. Poor Col. And it's one thing to hit your sister, but another to see your children hurt by it.
> 
> Sadness for the Frost family. I hope you all enjoy the other bits of it though, including the secret saga of Rin liking Kai.


	31. Chapter 31

Elsa wandered through the castle and heard soft crying coming from Rin's room. She never in a million years imagined walking in on her 19 year old crying like a little girl who had tripped and fallen to be sprawled out on her bed.

"Rin? What's wrong?" She asked with worry.

"Go away!" Rin said, grabbing a cloth and dabbing her eyes, "Go away, mom!"

Rin's hair, which in the same type of rebellion Heimdall had experienced when he turned 18, had been chopped off and now looked like a bird had made a nest. She tried to stifle her motherly urge to pat it down, but Rin was glaring at her and hugging a pillow so tightly Elsa imagined it would break.

"Okay. Dinner will be soon, though." She said, knowing when to leave her eldest daughter alone.

"I'm not hungry!" Rin said, throwing the pillow, "Just leave!"

Elsa wandered around in deep confusion and worry the remainder of the time until dinner. Jack noticed, and commented on Rin's absence.

"She's in her room...crying. She won't tell me why." Elsa whispered.

"Oh." Jack frowned, quieting, "I should go talk to her."

"It won't help. You're useless around a crying girl." Elsa said, "Just...give her time. I can't even imagine what it might be though." Azura came in, gently leading Colbourne into his seat.

It was hard, living with a blind child. He couldn't see almost anything, and to cover his mikly looking eye they had a little eyepatch made. Jack had been bright about it.

"You're a pirate now! Arrg!" Elsa had to admit that her husband always knew what to say.

At first, Azura had stayed away from him, partly because she couldn't deal with the guilt, and secondly because for a long while he looked at her in fear every time she entered the room. Most recently, though, seeing as Pabbie had been correct about his lack of memory, she had become his protector. She went nearly everywhere with him.

"I took away his sight, Mom." She had said, "It's only fair I give mine to him whenever I can."

"No one blames you." Elsa had said more times than she could count, "If you had done nothing, you may have both been killed."

Now, Azura sat in her usual spot next to her brother, telling him quietly what was in front of him and where. If only her other children could get along so well.

"Where's Kai?" Gavner asked looking around as he sat.

"I don't see Eira either." Anna said, "Or Heimdall and Aoife."

"Oh, Heimdall is finishing some work for the council and Aoife is feeling a little under the weather. She ate some chicken soup already." Jack said, filling in the blanks, "I don't know where the other two are."

"Well, no use waiting. I'm hungry." Elsa declared, and there was a sigh of relief, and everyone tucked in to a delicious chicken dinner.

There was sharp and girly giggling from the hall leaning to the dining room, which brought Elsa from her meal. She looked up, and soon most of the table was perked up in interest. Colbourne, who had begun to rely heavily on all his other senses, wrinkled his nose.

"Kai? And Eira?" He asked.

"That's unexpected." Jack said, raising an eyebrow. The two stumbled into the room together, smiling like goons.

"Mom! Mom we have the best news!" Eira was blushing hard and had a look of eternal joy plastered on her face.

"Kai? You're late!" Gavner reprimanded, "Don't be rude, now come and sit."

"Dad. I have something to tell you! This is why I was late." He said, taking Eira's arm and the two shared a silly smile.

"Mom, Kai proposed! Look at the ring. Mom, married! We went down and tied the knot this morning. I'm Mrs. Eira Eklund now." Eira shrieked and suddenly noticed her mother's expression was not as gleeful as she had hoped, "Mom, aren't you happy for me?"

Jack and Elsa exchanged looks. "Oh, no." Elsa whispered, realizing why Rin was sobbing in her room.

"No." Jack whispered under his breath, "I was prepared for the oldest. Not her! She's too young. Gaaah, dear restrain me before I go and dust off the old hunting rifle. They eloped!" He wheezed, turning white, his knuckles gripping the table. There was a stunned silence, and Eira turned sour.

"Well, thank you for the heart-felt congrats, everyone! Odin!" She said in frustration, storming out. Kai began to follow him, but his father stopped him.

"Kai! What were you thinking young man? Come here." Elsa didn't hear the rest of his anger, because she was up running after Eira. She found Eira in her room, angrily stuffing things into a suitcase.

"Oh, gee, there are you are mom." She said, spinning around in anger.

"What are you doing, young woman?" Elsa asked, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm married now. I'm going with Kai to America and you can't stop me!" Eira screamed, "I wanted you to be happy for me, mom!"

"You married without my permission! You say you're going half-way across the world at the age of 18. Do you think I would be jumping for joy?" She asked.

"Mom I'm happy! Does that mean anything to you?" She said, trying to get around her mother with a suitcase with half her fabrics dangling out the sides.

"How long have you been seeing him, Eira." She asked sharply, "Answer me!"

"Why does it matter! It's true love!" Eira insisted.

"Answer me, young lady. You are still my daughter and your father will still come and fly you home if you try to leave, you understand me clearly?" She asked with venom in her voice.

"Fine! Whatever! We've been in true love for six months, happy?" She asked, "But we knew you wouldn't approve. Well, you can't do anything now, so there!" She said.

"Yes, of course I wouldn't approve! Six months, that's hardly any time at all. You're too young to know what true love means, Eira. Now put your suitcase down, you are not going anywhere."

"Make me." Eira sneered savagely, and Elsa sighed.

"You forced me." She sighed in regret, and shot the suitcase out of her daughter's hand with an icy blast, out the window. Oops, she hadn't meant to use so much power.

"Mother!" Eira cried, running to the window, hot tears running down her face, "How could you?"

"Oh hush, someone will get your things later. What I want to know is how could you do this? Did you know that Rin has been in love with him since before he arrived?" She asked, quite sure that Eira didn't know, hoping that she would soften. Instead Eira became cold.

"Oh, of course. You take her side. You love her more, don't you mom. If her and Kai got married after a month of dating, you wouldn't care! And it's not my fault she was too afraid to do anything about her crush!" Eira said haughtily. Elsa's blood went cold.

"You...KNEW?" She screamed, and Eira winced, but only from the decibel of her mother's shouts.

"So what? He choose me! No one wants boring and ugly Rin anyway." Eira replied. It took everything in Elsa's power not to strangle her daughter.

"This is not how I raised you. You are sisters. Does that mean anything to you? How dare you do this to your own blood. I am ashamed of you! You may not always be married to him, but you will always be Rin's younger sister." Elsa said, recalling how once she almost lost her own, due to something similar but at the same time totally different.

Eira just scoffed, rolling her eyes and refusing to make eye contact. Elsa thought it was enough. She grabbed Eira's arm and dragged her, literally dragged half on the ground, to Rin's room.

"I told you to leave mom!" Rin said, still red-eyed. Her eyes grew with fire when she saw her sister, "Oh Odin, do you want me to kill myself?"

"Apologize to her, Eira." Elsa demanded angrily.

"Why. Can't help it I was more desirable." Eira said sourly.

"Only because you dressed like a slut around him!" Rin said, standing and shaking with fury, "Mom, they got married."

"I know. But not for long." Elsa said icily.

"You can't stop me. I'm going to America!"

"Oh, I most certainty can. Now apologize." She said, "Or else."

Eira turned. "Mom, I never took you as heartless. But Kai has a job in America, and he has to go. And I mean, you wouldn't split up a family would you?" She asked.

"Two of you are not a family, you ignorant girl." Rin sniffed. Eira turned, an evil look in her eye.

"True. But baby makes three!" She said, patting her stomach. Elsa didn't even see Rin lunge.

"YOU WHORE! HOW DARE YOU! I LOVED HIM!" Rin said, trying to punch Eira. Elsa attempted to get in between the two, but with little success. There was finally a climax when Eira was crying on the floor.

"Mom, her ice hit my stomach! She's killed the baby! Baby murderer!" She cried, pointing at Rin.

"You deserve it, you horrible excuse of a person!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Elsa screamed, her fingernails digging into both of their arms, "Rin, stop it. Please." She said, looking at her eldest daughter with a plead in her eyes. Rin's eyes still sparkled with tears, and she took in a deep breath, but nodded. Elsa turned her attention to Eira, who was still going on about Rin the baby axe-murderer.

"Quiet you. Jack will go with you to Pabbie to see what will happen, but for heaven sakes!" She said, tugging Eira from the room.

By the time they returned to the dining room, the room was in an uproar. Heimdall was sitting next to his friend, fists clenched in anger and glaring at his friend.

"I can't believe you did this to Rin." He was muttering. Kai's eyes were wide.

"Dude, I swear I didn't know Rin also liked me!" He said.

"Everyone knew, Kai." Wynter said stiffly, "You're just as blind as Col if you couldn't see that. Or stupid."

Jack looked up, and Elsa let go of Eira. "You need to take her to see Pabbie. Rin hit her stomach with her magic."

"Stomach? I don't think that's really going to hurt much. Maybe a stomach ache for a couple days but-," Elsa cut him off, looking at Gaver, who she realized had no idea about the little surprise either.

"No, I guess that Eira is concerned about the...baby." She said, glaring pointedly at her daughter's stomach. Jack exploded in an bomb of ice. He rose up out of his seat, like an invisible string had tugged him up. The whole room darkened with the wrath of Jack Frost. It was terrifying, and Elsa was glad that she was not the one the anger was directed at.

"What?" He thundered, "Baby?"

"Have fun with your father, Eira." Elsa said with a smile, knowing that if she wasn't afraid of her mother, she was as sure as Odin terrified of what her father would say. This was her punishment. The room was cast into an uproar once again.

Heimdall hauled his best friend up by his shirt. "Not only do you break the heart of my favorite sister's heart, but you get the other one pregnant? Before you were married?" He said in exasperation.

"I mean, it just happened and-," Kai began to say, but he was cut off by Heimdall's fist, which connected with Kai's nose at the perfect angle. Bright red blood spurted out between Kai's fingers.

"Dude?"

"I really needed to get that out." Heimdall grumbled, "I'm going back to my room now. I just...can't talk to you now."

"I'll fix this. While I have a nice long talk about his unknown recent...activities." Gavner growled. Most of the other children were sent away, and Elsa found herself in the kitchen. She grabbed mint ice-cream, Rin's favorite, along with some chocolates that Jack had gotten for her when he left most recently. She had been waiting to eat them with some nice wine, but she figured Rin needed the more. She grabbed the white wine anyway.

"Can I come in?" She asked, "I come bearing gifts of heartbreak fixers." She said softly. Rin sighed.

"Sure. Whatever." She said grudgingly. Her mother set them in front of her and poured her and her daughter a glass of wine. Rin drank it in record time.

"A baby? Really? I...I..." She blubbered.

"What your sister did was wrong, not only to you, but to the family." Elsa agreed, "Chocolate? It will make you feel better."

"What do you know about this." Rin said, turning over on her pillow, "You and dad have loved each other forever." She muttered.

"I was once stupidly in love, at the age of 15. He was the delivery boy, and I was infatuated. And he was seventeen and so curious to see the princess that he just let me be so in love. One day, I thought that he might have loved me for me, and I showed him my powers...he called me a monster, a freak, and he made me feel like dirt. My mother picked me up and brought me chocolate like I'm doing for you." She explained. Rin thought about it.

"I can't believe it." Rin sighed in, "I thought...oh, I don't know what I thought."

Elsa didn't say anything for a long time. She just let her daughter cry, drink wine, eat chocolate and ice-cream and spill all her feelings on her mom. After a long while, she got up and hugged her mom.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you. I think I'm still in shock." She said. Elsa ruffled her hair.

"Go to sleep, dear. Everything looks better with daylight." She said sagely, "I'm going to see Eira. She must be back by now- I don't want to lose a daughter. I am angry, but I do still love her, and I want her to know that."

She met Jack on the way. "What did Pabbie say?"

"She'll be fine." Jack grumbled, "I can't even..." He shook his head, "The kid will either suffer no problems or be born magical. I hope the kid is magical. Serves her right! The nerve." He said sourly.

"You should go and talk to Rin. She's better now, in a sense." Elsa suggested, "She's really upset." Jack's face softened.

"She shouldn't be. I feel so sorry for her." He said, "I will. Eira is in her room. We've been home about two hours."

Elsa knocked on Eira's room, "Honey? I'm coming in." She opened the door to see the room darkened and a dark lump curled on her second daughter's bed. She went to sleep; good. She would talk in the morning.

She was about to leave, when she noticed something felt off about the room. Out of curiosity, she opened one of Eira's closets. Empty. All empty. She opened the rest in a frantic rush. All abandoned. There were only pillows under the blanket where Eira was supposed to lay, and Elsa felt fearful. A fluttering movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Taped to the window was a piece of paper. Elsa tore it down, and her hands trembled as she read it.

Mom (And Dad)

Well, that wasn't how I expected it to go. At all. I'm upset you just couldn't be happy for me. You're a grandmother now! Isn't that exciting?

I see now though that you are willing to tear a baby away from it's father because of stingy old rules and asinine ideas of how a love should be. News flash mom, it is true love. TRUE LOVE. Who cares how long it's been? I know that Kai is the perfect man and he will be the perfect father.

I had to leave, and I'm sorry. I'm not sorry I left, I'm sorry that I couldn't be a perfect daughter with perfect powers or white hair or whatever I'm not. I'm sorry that my kid won't meet it's grandparents on either side because of your stubbornness. It's your loss.

I've gone with Kai already to where we'll leave to America. I'm not telling you how or where we are going, because I have no doubt that dad will come and find me, and I am NOT letting that happen. I will write you when I'm there safely with a house and food to let you know I'm okay, and I'll try to contact you after the baby is born, but other than that, don' t look for me. You won't find me. I don't need you anymore, mom.

Goodbye forever,

Eira.

Was this what the most bitter sadness felt like? Was this what it felt like to fail as a parent? Elsa couldn't stop crying as she came into the fireplace room where Jack and Gavner shared an ale, looking at each other and just beginning to laugh a bit.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Jack asked, seeing her. She let the letter fall to the floor, and Gavner picked it up. Elsa let herself crumble into Jack's embrace as Gavner read the letter out loud. When he finished, he ran to Kai's room and returned with a similar- but not quite as venomous- letter.

"We'll find them." Jack promised, and Elsa just shook her head.

"No...no...let her go." She sobbed, "Let her be happy, if that's what she thinks she wants."

Jack looked utterly torn. He gave a long sigh. "I hope Eira knows how forgiving her mother is, wherever she is."

Gavner tried to help, "Hey, at least only one of your kids have screwed up so far. That's 1 out of 11. My failure as a parents is a lot more apparent- 1/3 of my children are beyond help." He said, helping the King and Queen up. Elsa cracked a smile.

"Gavner, you always know what to say." She whispered, and pulled him into the hug. The three didn't move for a long time, just sat hugging in silence by the roaring fire, contemplating the days events and how it would continue from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are just terribly depressing for this family, isn't it? I promise it will start getting happier again!
> 
> So originally I was going to have it be between Rin and Eloise, and have both parents talk to them. But I decided I sorta wanted to mirror Anna and Elsa in a more extreme way and use siblings. Eira has always been a little Anna-eque, but it's not one magic sister that she has to live up to, it's many. I really think she's just looking for attention, or is simply immature. Whatever the case is, it was necessary. But I still think that Rin/Kai would have been a cute couple. But they're not now. Rin will get over it though; she's much stronger that Eira.


	32. Chapter 32

Eira did contact them, after an painfully long year. Even though Elsa told him not to, Jack couldn't help but look for his daughter whenever he left for winter-making. America may or may not have experienced some horrible weather when he got particularly frustrated, but all he wanted was to tell her he was sorry, and tell her to come home. He never found her.

The letter was curt when it came, sent from a general place where although Jack searched around, he deduced she had merely been passing through the town when she'd sent it. Clever girl.

A year later, she sent a picture along with the note.

Mom and Dad,

I am well, healthy, and settled. I am happy, there is no need to worry. Kai is wonderful. We had a daughter, and her name is Heidi. She seems free of any magic. Thankfully. I cannot tell you where I am at the moment. Maybe one day, when it's all passed over and I'm not still angry, I'll let you meet her. Here's her picture.

Best,

Eira.

The sepia picture was a family portrait. Kai looked like a man, his face with a scruffy beard and the crinkles around his eyes when he smiled. Eira still looked a child to Elsa, though, and most agreed that she looked to young to be the mother to the baby that was bouncing on her lap. At about three months old, the child's face was like a cherub. It seemed to have inherited it's mother's strawberry blond hair, and her father's dark eyes.

"Damn. She's adorable."

"I feel old." Elsa moaned, cradling her sides, "I'm a grandmother!"

Out of any of the castle dwellers, Heimdall took Kai's abrupt departure the hardest.

"He was my best friend." He just muttered after the note was found, jutting his shoulders up and hanging his head low between them, "And he didn't say goodbye."

"Would you have let him, had he woken you?" Rin asked reasonably, recovering from her heartbreak with much chocolate and wine.

"I don't know!" Heimdall moaned, "But I thought...I thought he was my brother. He was the best man at the wedding."

"You did break his nose." Aoife pointed out as she gave his back a couple of pats.

"It's a guy thing. I punch him, I'm done. I told him I needed to get it out of my system. It was a very revealing night. I wasn't mad by the time I went to bed though. I wish I'd told him that." Heimdall said, swimming in his regrets.

"If he didn't say goodbye, perhaps you didn't deserve his friendship." Aoife said firmly, "Now get up. He's happy with his life, the little bugger." She cussed sourly.

After the news of Eira's baby spread, Rin and Heimdall were taunted endlessly.

"She beat both of you! And you're married, Heimdall!" Alfsol chuckled.

"I don't see you settling down." Heimdall poked him in rebuttal.

"I enjoy the single life, my man. And I'm not required to produce an heir. Are you and Aoife having...problems?"

"Not in the slightest." Aoife replied one day, overhearing the cousins' insistence, "I just thought it would be weird for the kid to have an uncle only five or six years older, that's all. And we're in no rush. We enjoy being together with as little responsibility as we can at this age." That shut him up, knowing better than to argue with her.

Rin was also taunted, by different people, for her stone-hard resistance to meet any guys who might be interested in her. Elsa saw the same resilience that had developed in her when she had been shut in, and only hoped a man like Jack and did for her eldest daughter what her husband had done for her.

In all, the day the letter arrived was a very hard day indeed, and much were the months to follow it. Life continued, of course, in lieu of the two places that sat abandoned at the dining table, and no one ever put food there but at the same time no one ever told the maids to put the plate away. Gavner had a look on his face, "They'll come back one day." He said with assurance.

"How can you be so confident?" Jack asked.

Gavner shrugged, his hair turning white at the roots, singling to Jack just how long they had been friends. "Oh, intuition." He said, and Azura agreed with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So clearly she's cooled down a bit, but she still has no intention of coming back. And before y'all complain that Rin hasn't found a man yet, she enjoys being single, and this time, she's really waiting for the right one. He will come, just not right away. Even if she did, she needs a little time to herself after this whole debacle.
> 
> Heidi (HY-dee): Germanic. 'Heidi' is a children's story by Joanna Spyri, set in the mountains of Switzerland. Its sequels were written by Spyri's English translator Charles Tritten. Heidi is also the name of a character in Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' series of novels. The character was named after Meyer's sister of the same name. Heidi Klum is a German Supermodel and host of the reality show "Project Runway".
> 
> BTW if people wanna see what the kids look like, look up my deviantart name 'FrostfootDreamleaf22' and you'll find a bunch of pictures and stuff for funsies.


	33. Chapter 33

There was only one thought that crossed Jack's mind in the dead of that night-

He was becoming mortal.

The revelation came with a sudden clarity that nearly bowled him over, like being struck by lightning through the heart.

It had started with the little things; he suddenly didn't have as much energy as he once did. He couldn't beat Izo and Wynter in races anymore; he just didn't have enough breath to carry him. He had thought it may be from eating too much. He'd dismissed it.

Or that he had started to have a killer tooth-ache about a year ago. Gavner had looked at him like he was crazy, when he explained his sudden pain.

"It's wisdom teeth. You didn't have those taken out?" He said, peering into Jack's mouth.

"Wisdom teeth?" He repeated slowly, "Wouldn't you want something named 'wisdom'?" He asked.

"You don't have room. It needs to come out. I can't believe it only began hurting now."

"I don't know if I believe you." Jack said firmly, but soon it became such a bother he let his guard down and had those 'smart teeth' removed with less pain than it was causing him.

He didn't quite ponder the timing of it all. He figured it was life.

It was little things like that, through the years, that really made sense now.

Another was his beard. One day, Elsa had stared at him and frowned.

"What? Is there something in my teeth?" He'd asked. Elsa's eyes grew wide.

"I think...you have some facial hair! Or is that just a trick of the light?" She asked, and Jack felt his chin. His fingers couldn't believe it.

"By Odin, I do." He said in wonder.

It didn't grow at any amazing pace, he was sad to say. It took him nearly a full year to grow out even enough to scratch Elsa's chin when he kissed her. In an experiment, he shaved it all off, and it grew back. He had found that odd. Seventeen year olds that previously didn't have any facial hair just didn't up and grow it so impressively and without clumping. Why, when a newcomer to the city arrived and was told the king was forever 17, she laughed.

When Elsa questioned, the person replied. "I was expecting a kid. I think you don't know your ages- he looks more, oh, I'd say 25. Manly. Young, still."

When Elsa really looked at her husband, she had to agree. It scared her. She didn't know what it meant. Jack filed all these instances away, unable to register the meaning until tonight.

Tonight when he had a craving for a sandwich at three AM and had stumbled out of bed in a half-dazed sleep to find the destination. In his sluggishness, he had only turned on one light and had set the ham on the cutting board. He yawned, and the knife slipped, and the blinding pain woke him right up.

He had never been so pained by anything before. Being immortal had given him a sort of immunity, because when something hurt it meant the requirement of growth or a fixture, which really didn't work well wit his condition.

And even more odd, was the blood.

He'd never bleed before in the life he could remember being immortal. He may be cut, but it would magically seal, and there would be no spilled anything. He was pretty sure at one point someone could slice his stomach open, and he'd be up and walking within minutes.

All he could do now, though, was watch the bright crimson life liquid that flowed down his hand, dripping on the floor and making a mess. The laceration was deep and he expected it to heal up, but it didn't. It just continued to bleed. The pain was bearable, because it was overshadowed with utter confusion and awe. He did't know how long he stood there, letting the puddle develop where he stood, before he washed his hand off, and smiled when it winced. Absently, he wrapped his hand in a cloth and left the knife, blood, and half made sandwich on the kitchen.

He was on a mission through the halls. When he reached the top of the balconies, he threw open the doors.

"I know why I'm here now!" He cried, tears running down his face, "Man in the Moon, I know now!"

Jack attempted to climb onto the thin balcony railing like he once did with such ease, but found himself off balance and laughed. "I was meant to be with Elsa, Moon. For whatever reason, I was made this winter person to find her. It was meant to be by you. Who knows, maybe I was born too young. Maybe she was born too late. But I guess I needed these powers. I was made to be a king, to give these people their next set of heirs, to care for a girl who doesn't understand." He was speaking rapidly now, and a wide grin set across his face.

"I'll grow old with her," He whispered, "I'll die next to her, and we'll be together forever. I was meant to always be with her. Now I understand why you never told me. If I could hug you, I would, but you're pretty far away." He chuckled.

He contemplated this new thought, and did the math in his head. It had taken him thirty years with Elsa to become how he was. While he wouldn't say he was 25 like the woman had claimed, he saw himself more as...21. Roughly six years for his every one year, if he had begun at 17? He wouldn't get there fast, but he wouldn't have to watch his face in the puddles stay the same, while everyone around him speed in rapid speed.

It was dawn, and he was watching the moon fade. He waved his hand goodbye, and saw the blood dripping through the fabric. Maybe he should get that fixed before he did anything else. There was a high-pitched scream that came from Elsa somewhere in the castle. Jack forgot about his hand and sped toward the sound, and slowed when he reached the destination. The kitchen...oh.

Thinking about his carelessness, flicking the lights on to reveal a sandwich left out, a huge knife, and a puddle of blood that was quite impressive would seem a little eerie and freaky to anyone. Elsa was pale standing over it, and she looked around.

"Elsa!" Jack said a little too brightly, and Elsa nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Jack! There's blood." She said, shaking herself out of her fear.

"I know. It's mine." He admitted sheepishly. Elsa narrowed her eyes.

"This is not funny Jack. We both know you don't bleed." She said, her voice shuddering at the end, "I don't know what it came from bu-," She cut off abruptly, watching Jack untie his hand.

"Elsa...I'm becoming mortal."


	34. Chapter 34

"What is this, Nevada?" Elsa asked when her nineteen year old daughter pushed the letter across her desk.

"You know exactly what it is, mom." Nevada said, sitting at the chair usually reserved for clients or people here to have one-on-on meetings with her mother.

"We've been through this, you're 19. If you really wanted to go, you're an adult now." Elsa said, dismissing the paper.

"We also both know that I have to be 21 to have a parent's signature and the money to do it. This is the chance of a lifetime, mom!" Nevada protested.

Her mother took the paper between her fingers, feeling the parchment carefully. "I don't know, dear..." She sighed, covering her face in her hands, "The last time someone went out of Arendelle for more than a couple day with the family was-,"

"Eira. I know." Nevada made a face at the mention of her older sister, "But...I'm not gunna go crazy like her, mom. It's just for a month. Then I'm back. Can I go? Next week?"

Elsa started. "Next week? So soon? Even if I said yes, why would you want to go so suddenly, dear." She scrutinized the way that her darkest skinned child squirmed and blushed a little redder than usual, "Nevada?" Her mother's tone made the girl bit her lip.

"Jacob proposed." She said flatly.

"The Jacob we thought was gay?" Elsa started in surprise, stifling a chuckle of surprise, "Your best friend Jacob?"

"Yeah." Nevada huffed. She fished the jewelry from her pocket, and threw it on the table unceremoniously. Elsa picked it up and studied it. It wasn't overly extravagant, but it was perfectly clear that it wasn't inexpensive.

"When did this happen?" Elsa asked. Nevada sucked in her cheeks.

"Today."

"And?" Elsa promoted.

"I don't know what to say." Nevada cringed, "Yes, no? I've never been attracted to him, but he is my best friend like Jack's yours so..." She sighed, "I told him...I needed some time to think about it."

"And you want to disappear for a month. You think that's right?" Elsa said, standing, "Nevada, you can't runaway from your fears."

"By Loki, I can." Nevada said with strength and then winced, "Look...can I say no and then disappear for a month? I don't know...how to face him...after this." She struggled after this, "It changes everything. He tried to kiss me!"

"Do what feels right." Elsa moaned, "But you'd better give him an answer before you leave, you hear young lady?" She lectured. Nevada's eyes lit up.

"So I can go?" She asked, gaping.

"I'm going to send a letter to the director right now." Elsa said, and pulled the note toward her to reply to the man who took groups of people to see the world and experience different cultures for a month at a time. Nevada squealed something about telling Neela, and having to pack her suitcase.

Once, those two had been tied at the hip, like her other set of twins. Izo and Wynter were still just as connected and brotherly, but there had been a natural separation between Neela and Nevada. They had moved into different rooms when it became apparent they wanted different things, and began different apprenticeships.

They still loved each other dearly, but only as sisters, no longer as twins. Perhaps it would happen to the triplets, but perhaps it wouldn't. Elsa was never sure of anything anymore. If anything, Caldwell and Coulton were close, while Colbourne leaned on Azura for comfort, as she had been helping him live with his blindness since he was very young. Elsa did worry that sometimes it was hindering her ability to go out and meet men, not that Colbourne asked her to stay behind, but more like she felt she had to. Elsa didn't want a mistake from their childhood to haunt her forever, she wanted the girl to get out and start a family. It was common now that nearly everyone was settling down with children. Heimdall and Aoife had their first child not long ago, a little girl with curly white hair they had named Sarafinia. She was nearly one now, and according to Heimdall, they weren't sure if they wanted more than three. No matter; Elsa still had many children to give her grandbabies.

Jack had finally tracked down Eira, and they hugged and all. They were living in a state called Colorado, where Eira manned a little art shop and Kai worked at the mines in Pikes Peak. They had a set of twin boys named Ernest and Oscar (neither with white hair) and Eira was currently pregnant with her fourth. They were, if anything, on icy speaking terms with each other, a letter more commonly than simply once a year, at least.

Alfsol was still his single-loving self, who had one night stands and unsteady relationships, but was adamant on never getting too close to anyone. It worried Anna greatly, and Elsa could see how her eldest's son life-style was hurting her. Her more modest and reasonable daughter Eloise had married a baron from England, and had left the home two years ago. Xanthe, along with Elsa's own daughter Rin, were two magical peas in a pod. While perhaps they both were actively looking for men, they seemed to be in no rush and no hurry. Perhaps they needed to travel more, meet some strapping men from different places, Elsa thought, and considered sending the two on a 'vacation'.

Cham and Benar were not married either, although both seeing people. Rizpah was most certainly seeing someone, but she kept it very secret- very unlike her. She wrote letters to the mystery man in the dead of night, disappeared for periods of time, and blushed and denied when anyone tried to ask her about it. Oh, she was surly careful about this one.

Izo and Wynter were both finalizing engagement ring plans, they had gone to a royal ball in Corona less than a year ago. There they had met two beautiful ladies- best friends at that- and by the end of the night her sons had been smitten. They always wrote, and always sent gifts to their ladies, despite the distance from Germany and Norway. For a bit, Wynter's girl had been keeping a secret, until one day he asked about her family. He had turned pale and had a coughing fit when she only sent a picture back. Elsa had picked it up, laughing.

"Ah, Jack. Seems our Wynter is keeping it all royal." Elsa had teased, showing her husband.

"By Scott, he is." Jack amended, and clapped his son on the back, "Well Congrats! Whose castle will you live in?"

Wynter's hopeful future fiancee was the princess of Corona.

After Neela (still single) and Nevada (decidedly single, although clearly she was just offered), the five others Elsa wasn't as concerned that they didn't have wives or husbands yet. There was still time.

Gavner still lived with them, and Elira was engaged to be married. Although Elsa had offered they stay at the castle, the girl who had seemed so sad and depressed when she had first moved in, said that although the castle was her home, it was time for a new adventure. Artia was hesitant to date, although her and Berlio seemed close. Elsa wasn't sure what she could say if they ended up together- were they not technically siblings after Eira and Kai? But for all purposes, those two had been disowned at their leaving, and although they were now talking, it still was a sore subject, and the letters felt like it was penned by a stranger.

Elsa pushed away her thoughts of such things, and continued writing the letter. The next week, Nevada was being wished good luck at the docks. Jacob was not in attendance.

He came knocking a week later, though, and Elsa realized that although she had turned him away, Nevada had not told him about her world trip. He looked so disappointed, and Elsa didn't have the heart to admit that even if she had been here, Jacob would have never change her mind.

Elsa received no letters from her daughter while away. Jack was a little more optimistic about it. "She's having so much fun, she doesn't have time to write! Sketching fashions from all different countries, buying bags of fabric from every city." He said with a chuckle, "We'll have textiles filling the whole house!"

"I wish she'd write." Elsa pouted.

"She'll be home soon enough. You can't be mad at her for having a good time."

"I wish she'd just remember me, that's all. The kind and caring mother who paid for this."

"What? No thoughts about her father?" He teased.

"Well, you to." Elsa muttered, curling up in his chest, " Both of us."

On the day she returned, once again, the whole family was at the docks. Jacob was lurking in the shadows, but Neela chewed him out good and sent him away. She waited to see her sister step off. She seemed like a goddess now, dripping with gold from far away places, her hair done up, henna up her arms, and wearing of all things- men's shorts!

"Nevada!" Neela ran up and hugged her sister. Nevada responded warmly.

"It was wonderful! I can't...I can't even...I have so much to tell you." Nevada gasped.

"Did you bring back things for us?" Vienna asked with a smile.

"Yes. And the best gift for myself." Nevada replied with a dastardly smile. It was then that Neela noted the glittering band on her finger.

"You got engaged?" Neela shrieked, "Mom is going to kill you! Do you not remember what happened with Eira?"

"I'm not marrying him tomorrow, Neela." Nevada rolled her eyes, as if she was talking to a child, "He's already agreed for a long term engagement. Five years, if that will make mom happy."

"Oh." Neela calmed, "Where is he?" She looked around her sister.

"Tying up loose ends back home. I figured I'd calm mom down first before he appears. He's going to be here tomorrow." Nevada said and saw her mother approaching.

"Mom!" She said, taking herself from Neela's arms and running to hug her mother.

"You never wrote!" Elsa cried.

"I just had not time! But it was so incredible, mother! It was the best month of my whole life!" Nevada insisted. Then she stepped back, and looked around, searching for someone.

"Jacob's no here, I didn't think you'd want to see him." Elsa guessed carefully, assuming who her daughter searched for.

"No...not Jacob. I don't, you're right." She said, and bit her lip, "Dad didn't come to see me home?"

The silence that followed a collective gasp was deafening to Nevada's ears. She shuffled uncertainty.

"What?" She asked. Elsa's back stiffened, and she side glanced at Jack, who was standing just behind her. His jaw had dropped, and his eyes swam with hurt.

"Very funny, Nev." Wynter said, a hard edge to his voice.

"What?" Nevada suddenly became defensive, "Funny that dad didn't come to welcome me home?"

"I'm standing here, Nevada." Jack whispered, but as he had began to predict, she didn't turn to see him. His heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach.

"He's right next to mom." Neela came up, curling next to her sister, turning her at the angle he stood, "Don't you see him?"

"No...guys, c'mon, this isn't amusing!" Nevada hissed.

"You don't believe in him anymore?" Azura's voice was so small, filled with half disgust, half disbelief, "This is dad! Not Santa, dad!"

"I still believe!" Nevada said quickly.

"Then where is he standing. Dad move." Azura demanded in a voice that sounded exactly like her mother's. Jack complied wordlessly, staring hard at Nevada.

"Fine. He's there!" Nevada bluffed, pointing slightly farther away than he'd been a moment ago. And very wrong.

"I can't believe you." Azura backed away, curling her lip, "At least Eira still loves him."

"I love dad? I'm hurt he's not here!" Nevada defended herself.

"Not enough to believe though." Rin said with a hard edge, and wordlessly all her siblings walked away from her. Even Neela, who she called out to with a desperate tone, just shook her head.

"I...I...just can't." She said, wiping away a tear, "I'm sorry!"

Jack and Elsa remained. Jack went up and toucher her shoulder. Goose bumps trailed down her skin, and she shivered, but didn't look at him. Elsa just looked at her daughter, unsure how to continue. In the end, she tucked her blubbering daughter under her arm, guiding her back to the castle. Jack picked up his daughter's bags, but never did she turn to see them floating behind her.

Usually, Elsa reflected, it was Jack that comforted Elsa. But tonight, she saw him in his room, sitting on a chair with his shoulders hunched, unmoving. Nothing she could say would shake him from his state, the wall he'd built while she was talking to Nevada. His eyes seemed gone, like there was nothing left. Even when she tugged him to bed, he turned over away from her, and refused to speak. She just crawled on the other side of him, bringing his head down near hers, like she was hugging him. When he thought she was asleep, she felt his body shudder and tears splash on her hand.

"I love you, Jack." She whispered, comfortingly. She waited all night for his answer, but there was no verbal reply. His reply was when he pulled her tighter against him, to shield him and muffle his cries.

Elsa hated seeing Jack so broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another sorta sad chapter. But that's life- an predictable rollar coaster of ups and downs, aint it?
> 
> So I sorta threw A TON of information at y'all, and here's some notes on it.
> 
> Firstly, don't hate Nevada too much. Something happened when she was away (of what, I can't tell you exactly, even I only have the foggiest ideas of a one-shot I'd write about what happened) but she really did think she still believed. I mean, it was bound to happen...because there was the question of how they can even see him from babies in the first place. She really does think that Jack exists, or thinks she still believes, but I think we all can relate to something that once you don't believe in something anymore, it's hard to convince yourself otherwise. And I always perhaps found her the most forward of any of the children, someone from another planet, if you will. I don't know, I'll see what you all think.
> 
> Can anyone guess who Wynter's fiancee is? Her name is Claire btw. Izo's girlfriend is named Bebe. I'll be writing a one-shot too about how they met them as well. In fact, when this is over, I'll be writing a whole slew of backstage things that I now want to add to :) But that's still a ways away. And I don't have names or anything for Elira and Eloise, so if anyone has ideas about a backstory for them, be my guest!
> 
> Names:
> 
> Sarafina (sa-rah-FEE-nah): Latin. From seraphim, meaning fiery ones. Alternate spelling of Seraphina.
> 
> Ernest (erh-NEST) : Germanic. Meaning earnest or serious. Cognate of the Germanic Ernst, the name was introduced to England in the 18th century following the coronation of George I (1660-1727), the "German King". George III's son Ernest Augustus, was the first of five Kings of Hanover to hold the name. Ernest Augustus V is married to Princess Caroline of origins of the name support the pun found in the title of Oscar Wilde's play 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. Ernest Hemingway was an author, and Ernest Rutherford was a nuclear physicist. Rutherford theorised the presence of neutrons in the atom, and later had element of atomic number 104 named after him: rutherfordium.
> 
> Oscar (os-KHAR): In english it means 'divine spear'. That's not as exciting as what it means in the gaelic language, which the meaning is 'lover of deer.' XD Oscar is a Scandinavian name derived from the Old English os "god" and gar "spear". It is also an Irish mythological name: Oscar was the name of Oisin's son and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhail. It almost certainly means "lover of deer" or "beloved of deer", derived from Gaelic os "deer" combined cara "lover". The name belonged most famously to the English writer Oscar Wilde. It is also associated with Oskar Schindler (Oskar is the German spelling), a German industrialist who saved over a thousand Jews in World War II. His story was made famous by the film 'Schindler's List'.
> 
> Claire (kh-LAIR): Latin. Means bright, clear, or famous. "Claire" is the French feminine adjective for "clear." Claire is the name of a computer programming language; "Claire's" is a well-known accessories store in the U.S and UK. Famous bearers include actress Claire Danes and US senator Claire McCaskill.
> 
> Bebe don't have anything on it. OH WELL!


	35. Chapter 35

In all the years since Jack had lived in the castle, 32 by the way, the triplets were sure no one had ever seen the contents of their father's secret wardrobe. Whenever they were in their mother's room, hers was open and filled with clothes and trinkets, but Jack's was alway firmly locked. After the triplets interrogated anyone who could have possibly seen- the whole staff and all their siblings and cousins- it became very clear that no one knew. Besides Elsa, but she changed topics when Colton had begun to ask.

Therefore, the triplets- along with Berlio because he was good with his hands- were adamant on finding out what was in the wardrobe. They waited until both their parents were pre-occupied. Mom had a meeting with the Italian relations and Berlio knew how they loved to talk, so was confident she wouldn't resurface for a couple hours. Jack was off visiting Eira and congratulating her on the birth of her newest child. Jack would bring back pictures, gender, and name. He had left shortly, so all three were sure they would not be back to the room.

Berlio and Colton would be inside, breaking into the wardrobe while Caldwell kept any maids busy that might be making rounds. Just to be sure that they would have time to escape, Colborne would be wandering around the room, under the ruse that he had lost his way in the halls. BS, of course, he could draw a map of the whole place, and tell you exactly what flowers were in each hall. Azura had been told directly not to interfere, and told about what they were doing, because she would have been horrified if her blind brother was actually lost in his own home.

So it was all set and carefully planned. They crept into their parents bedroom, and to the wardrobe that held so much mystery.

"You got the stuff?" Colton questioned, and Berlio smirked, opening a pack of little tools.

"I can break into all the doors in the palace, I'm quite sure I can best a simple wardrobe." He said haughtily.

"Who knows." Colton said, examining it from all sides, "Perhaps it was specially made to be really difficult."

"Then I'll enjoy a challenge." Berlio replied, peering into the lock and carefully shifting through the objects.

Colton was antsy though, "Can you hurry?" He asked.

"We're well guarded. And you can't rush this." Berlio hissed, shoving more than one object into the lock hole, ear pressed firmly against the wood, "Just let it unlock itself for me."

Colton scoffed.

It was an excruciating five minutes for the boy, who watched Berlio with hard eyes. Berlio, after two minutes, told him to stop staring as it was making him uncomfortable. Colton complied, grudgingly. After 5 minutes and sixteen seconds (yes, he was indeed counting) went by, he heard that magical click. He summoned his brothers in, and all four stared at the wardrobe.

"Has it been opened?" Colborne questioned, squinting, as if it would help.

"No." Caldwell murmured.

"Do you want to, since you were so impatient?" Berlio motioned for Colton. The boy strode forward and flung it open. There was only two objects inside, and they checked thoroughly, but otherwise found it all empty.

"What's inside? Money? Gold? A shrunken head?" Colborne said, asking excitedly.

"No. Two things wrapped in parchment." Berlio replied, taking both in either hand.

"Describe them!"

"Well, the first, it's like a shepard's cane. Weirdly shaped though." Colton said, wrapping the first.

"Okay?" Colborne shook his head, "The second?"

"Clothes." Caldwell said with disappointment.

"They look weird though." Coulton interjected, "Like they're covered in frost. There's a blue top with a hood- like a jacket, I guess, but not. Also a pair of ratty pants. And they're cold to the touch! Like ice cold!"

"Impossible." Colborne reached forward and a shudder went down his spine when he touched it, "They can't be that cold if they've been locked up for thirty some years. It's the middle of summer!"

"They are though." Caldwell examined them.

"Put them on, Caulton." He said, "They seem to be made for winter people." He said.

"Look at how skinny the pants are." Caulton argued, "I couldn't fit into these."

"Berlio could." All three brothers turned to Berlio, who raised his eyebrows.

"What? No, come on. We know what's inside, let's put them back." He said, suddenly reverting to his usual rule-abiding self.

"Put them on, Berlio."

Finally, his brothers pressured him into it. Grudgingly, he tried them on.

"Woah." Caulton whispered.

"What?" Berlio snapped.

"You look like dad- when he was younger. Like the pictures of when he first arrived. This must be his winter spirit clothes!"

"They feel light, like magic." Berlio admitted.

"Why does dad keep this locked away?" Coulton wondered out loud.

"So nosy kids don't get into it." A voice said from behind them. Three out of four turned around, more jumped in fear, while Colbourne just sighed.

"I knew I heard someone coming. Darn." He muttered to himself.

"Dad?" Berlio asked, squinting, "I thought you were..."

"She was going to surprise us and was already on her way here. She'll be here by midnight." The brothers let that sink in, but Jack was already stepping down through the window, "Really, guys?"

"Why was it locked away?" Caulton asked.

"Because it was part of my past life." He said, "Before mom. It's...not something I like to remember. But I can't get rid of it." He shook his head.

"What's this cane for?" Caldwell asked, swishing it around like a sword. Jack flinched and took it away from him swiflty.

"To fly of course." He said.

"Can I fly with it?" Berlio asked, reaching for it. Jack shook his head.

"I don't think so, buddy. Strictly winter spirit ability. Non genetic." He said apologetically. There was a female's voice from the door.

"Colborne! Did you find what was in the-," Her eyes widened when she saw her father.

"Yeah. What Berlio's wearing and what dad has in his hand." Colborne replied.

"C'mon, lemme just try flying with it." Berlio was pestering, "Maybe it's not that- maybe it's the clothes?"

"I doubt it, buddy." Jack said, gathering the parchment, "Now time to put it back." Azura strode across the room.

"What's that?" She asked, taking it from her father's hands.

"Magic staff." He said gruffly, "Now give it...back?" He jumped away, watching Azura rise from the ground, "What?"

"How did you do that?" Berlio pouted.

"I don't know!" Azura said, panicking, "Dad! How do I come back down?" She dropped the staff and felt herself drop. She wasn't far from the ground, so it didn't hurt. Jack frowned.

"I thought you said it was winter spirit only." Caldwell muttered.

"I thought it was." He said, staring at Azura in amazement. Azura had the same look of wonder on her face. He scrutinized her. Was it possible that there was something about Azura he didn't know about?


	36. Chapter 36

"Unbelievable." Jack murmured in shock. Rizpah's face shifted rapidly in between shock, to worry, to anger, and finally to uncertainty. She took a shuddering breath.

"So this isn't normal?" She asked, wincing hard.

Jack and Elsa shared looks.

"Honey, nothing's 'normal'. We've only ever had a couple to test theories, but all of the times were different. We didn't see Hiemdall's powers until he was two!" Elsa chuckled, looking at her eldest son.

"But, on the flip side on either side, Azura was making frost patterns on her crib five months or so after she was born. Then we had Berlio, and we feared that we we wrong about the hair because he didn't show a smidgen of powers until he was six." Jack reassured, "But this...is...hmm..." He studied the child with calculating eyes.

"We were so confused with his hair. Bright, bright orange!" Rizpah murmured, "Now, I suppose...Well? Do you think he'll injure himself with this? It's different than winter magic!"

"Unlikely." Elsa assured, patting her niece's back, "We are immune to the most freezing of temperatures, and never have we given ourselves or others like us frostbite. I understand your concern though, but to be honest, this is new for all of us. These are only guesses of course." She added hastily.

Jack was at the eye level of the three week old. "Hey, Raiden? Wanna show Uncle Jackie your fire?" He asked, and Rizpah winced.

"Should you encourage him?" She hissed.

"He can't hear me." Jack rolled his eyes. There was a knock on the door.

"Must be Hugo. He's unaware; I just sent for him after it happened." Rizpah sighed, "Mother will be with him."

THe door opened without waiting for anyone to let them in, and two people rushed inside. Jack still glared at Hugo distrustfully, and Elsa tried not to as well, but was clearly failing as Rizpah grunted and nudged her. She touched Jack's shoulder, and he grumbled, retreating his gaze.

Yet, Anna seemed comfortable around him, and she was the most likely to have hated him. If Anna trusted him, then they must, Elsa had told Jack at Rizpah's wedding.

"He's still the son of that no good coward Hans." Jack growled, "Who knows what lies he's been fed his whole life?"

The first thing that Hugo had said was sincere, when he had been introduced a little over two years ago as the man Rizpah had been hiding (and clearly for good reason), "I am not my father." The finality of his voice had at least paused the pair from making hasty assumptions.

So far, he had done nothing to prove it wrong otherwise. In fact he had almost totally severed connections to his family back home, as his father greatly disapproved of the marriage.

Elsa also had to say she'd never seen Rizpah so pacified. The blush that crept up her cheeks whenever he was around was unusual. "Who would have thought the girl who broke my nose as children would be my wife?" He had said casually one night after the wedding, when he was taking time with the family, "Then again, I was unhealthily obsessed with her after that! Mortified, really. My uncle was no help. I began working out and in my mind, I was going to punch her right back the next time I saw her." Rizpah giggled.

"You wouldn't have been able to, even if I had given you the chance." She teased.

"Quite right. She threatened me again, and knocked me on my butt. I realized in that moment perhaps it was better to be friends than enemies, frankly I was getting tired of the bruises that appeared every time I visited Aredelle, so that's what happened. And then friends turned into...this." He said finally, his fingers linking with Rizpah's.

Elsa had to admit she was very happy with the people her family were marrying, as she heard Hugo talk. Five couples sat around the table, all young and joyful with no pressing issues other than young children and delicious wine, and she yearned for those days. Those had been happy days with Jack, the nights they spent with Kristoff and Anna near a roaring fire. Sure, there had only been four instead of ten, yet it was comforting. Now, she felt strange watching the new generation do the same thing in the same room, and took her leave, so she never heard Rizpah's side of the story.

Now, not long later, Jack and Elsa were explaining Raiden's condition the best the could to the grandmother and father.

"We only know ice magic, and we feel we know it personally." Jack was saying with an edge of arrogance, "Yet fire magic? I've never come across a summer spirit. Heard of them, but we run in different circles. Had it been earth or water, the two season spirits I have upset on occasion, it may be different."

"He won't hurt himself, will he?" Hugo asked the same thing Rizpah did.

"We are doubtful of that. Yet, I would watch him. He very likely will not hurt others if he is not taught to controll it. The best way, we have learned through experience, is by teaching him not to be afraid of it." Elsa said gently.

"Afraid? It's fire! It's dangerous." Hugo exclaimed.

"As is ice. Both can kill and neither is a comfortable way to leave this earth." Jack said icily.

Hugo sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "I just...why us?"

"Why Elsa?" Anna spoke for the first time, "As far as we know, which is very little, Elsa was the first one in the family tree ever to be born as she is, but now has passed it on." She said logically, and Elsa nodded to her in agreement.

"Take it as luck and be proud." Jack said, "Perhaps, we should leave them with him." He said, "Anna?" He asked when his sister-in-law didn't move.

"I'm coming." Anna said after a moment of breaking from a daze, "Wine? Please?" She asked her elder sister pleading.

"Wine would be...helpful." Elsa agreed, wandering in front of both of them to the kitchens.

"I should get Kristoff. No reason to leave him out. He'd be furious if he found we opened a bottle and didn't invite him." Anna said, turning down a corridor with a laugh.

"Same with Gavner. He needs to get away from the papers, and have some fun for once." Jack decided.

"He did when he was younger, or do you not recall?" Elsa asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Since he turned old, he turned boring." Jack said, scrunching his nose in disgust.

This promptly left Elsa alone to sit in the kitchens. Since it seemed to be turning into quite the affair, and hardly into the afternoon as it was, she pulled out a gift wine from a trading country along with some cheese and crackers and a bushel of grapes. She popped one into her mouth. She took out the nice wine glasses and set them at the table, and kindled the fire.

"This is quite a show." Gavner said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"It's quite needed." Elsa said, and Jack twined his arm around her waist, and kissed her cheek like he had when they were young.

"Agreed. I'll be first to take a glass," Jack says with a grand gesture, un-popping the cork, "Ah Gavner? Half glass, like usual?" He asked with a turn.

"I know it's the good stuff, Jack. Don't be stingy." He lectured his friend, and let out a wheezing laugh. Kristoff and Anna came in a moment later, and Anna took controll of the bottle seeing that Kristoff and Jack were having a 'man battle' to see who got the most. Anna's eyes were sharp and even as she dolled out each glass.

"To be fair." She said when Kristoff grumbled at her.

Jack was about to drink when Gavner stopped him. "A toast! A toast!" He cried.

"We have to." Anna agreed, "To..." She thought.

"To those we have gained," Kristoff said with a small smile, looking at everyone and out the door, as if to the husbands, wives, and children of their once small family. Gavner finished.

"And to those we have lost." His voice hitched, and Elsa stifled a sobbed sigh.

Of course, there was Eira and Nevada. Eria was at least now on good terms, and she was happy for her daughter, even if she had to go through all the trouble to achieve it. With Nevada, she had a large falling out with Neela shortly after she returned from the trip, no matter how hard she tried to make it work, yet it had to be accepted that she may never see Jack again, because she had lost every faith. A year after her return, she had left with her fiancee to his home, and was married.

Of course, Elsa didn't expect all her children to stay in the castle their whole lives, although she half-hoped the would. There was more than enough space for privacy and to raise families, and she loved having them around. She had lost two? How many more would she lose?

Gavner's shoulders heaved and she realized he had it worse. While he had lost Kai like they had lost Eira, Elsa was lucky enough to not have to bear a death. It had been Elira, who had hidden the pregnancy so well. Heimdall seemed to have known, and was greatly troubled by it, even though the circumstances of the conception were still a great mystery. No one had known until she'd gone into labor, and it had been bad. Yet her daughter was unharmed, and seemingly so was Elira until that night when she had passed due to complications unseen quietly. She had left a note, as if feeling her demise coming, saying that Heimdall and Aoife were the godparents, and not to expect the father to show himself. That wasn't for lack of try around the village, but Gavner was left raising Andica alone after that, when no one came forward.

It was a drifter maybe, or a married man, Jack had guessed. Either way it had left the whole castle in a state of black clothing for many months, and Gavner's hair grew more silver.

"Yes. To those lost and found." Anna agreed, pulling Elsa from her memories. She smiled and five glasses clinked.

If only everything was so simply summed up with a toast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> Raiden (REHE-den): Japansese. Means thunder and lightning. Raiden is the god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology. His name comes from rai (thunder), and den (lightning) or jin (god).
> 
> Andica (an-Dee-kah): Greek. Means warrior. A Hungerian nickname for Andrea.
> 
> Also, here's Eira's final and fourth child- a girl with ice powers. Thankfully she had her last, because by the time there was white hair, Eira has grown up and has accepted that it's part of her family, and that her daughter will be beautiful. Here's her name.
> 
> Ainra (ah-EEN-rah): Swahili. Means eternal power.


	37. Chapter 37

The day that Heimdall never thought would arrive came in the year 1906 the castle was quiet and empty. Well, not quite, but it was certainly a couple decibels lower than usual. Heimdall tugged nervously on his nice uniform which pressed uncomfortably against his neck, and Aoife appeared in a brilliant gown.

"You're a king, now." She murmured with a twinkle in her eye.

"I suppose I am." He agreed, the reality sinking in for the first time. Heimdall Frost was king.

If only for two weeks.

Jack was off 'winter-izing' the world, but he had taken most of the family to show them how it worked. Elsa was the first to join, and pretty much every magical child joined, along with one or two just along for the different places.

Heimdall had stayed behind for quite a few reasons. Firstly, he had zero interest in discovering the whole process because he was quite sure that he would not take over that job ever. It was Azura who could fly and was the most apt at it. It had been he who had figured out why she had received his more spiritual genes. After must speculation, he had gone back and looked at the star charts on the night of her birth.

"She was born during a full moon, and we all know dad's friendship with it." He had pointed out, and much to his surprise, everyone accepted such as truth. It was the most feasible answer, of course.

Secondly, Elsa had pointed out that it would be good practice, reminding him the fragility of everything- that his mother would not be around forever.

It wasn't more than a moment of sitting in his father's chair when there was a violent snow gust that rattled the windows.

"Odin, what has she done now." Aoife asked, covering her face in her hands. Without a doubt, it was their eldest daughter Sarafina. She was 11 now, and had a nasty temper. The villagers knew to expect the surprise snowing, sometimes even in June, that would last less than ten minutes. She was powerful and had very little control of her powers when she became angry.

Heimdall began to stand, but his wife pushed him back down.

"You're a king, dear. I'll deal with her." She said.

"You won't understand her like I will. If anyone arrives, I'm sure you can deal just find with them." He assured, getting up despite her protests. He found Sarafina in the courtyard with the whole area engulfed in ice. He tried not to slip as he mad his way to where she was sitting in the middle with her head in her knees. By now, the snow had stopped.

"While it's pretty, I don't think it can stay." Heimdall said, bending down.

"It's ugly and I hate it." Sarafina sniffled.

"Come now. The ice can be pretty. Although i think we'd better un-melt it before the trees die." He said softly. Sarafina shook her head firmly. Heimdall sighed and undid the damage himself, and then went to where she was still creating an ice patch beneath where she sat.

"What's the matter?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"I wanted to make a female snowman for Olaf, I feel he gets lonely. But I couldn't make it alive, no matter what I did!" She said, throwing up her hands.

"When Grandma made Olaf, she didn't know how she did it." Heimdall tried to say to make her feel better, "I don't know if it can be replicated."

"You say I'm one of the most powerful, though!" Sarafina said, glaring.

"I did. But it was a miracle she did that at all. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself." Heimdall said, "I've never made an animated snow creature."

"I don't think you're powerful enough, dad." She said bitterly.

"Ouch." Heimdall winced, but Sarafina didn't crack a smile. He ran his hands over his face.

"Look." He said, "Life isn't something to mess with. We're not gods, okay?" He said.

"But we'er more powerful than anyone else. People act like we're gods." Sarafina said with a hint of arrogance.

"That is where you are wrong. We are just people, Sara. It's dangerous to think about it any other way. We just have a different gift, the way some can break glass with their singing or lick their elbows."

Sarafina gave him a look of disbelief, "Dad, people can't lick their own elbows." She rolled her eyes.

"Sure they can. But it's a gift. You've never seen Uncle Caulton do it?" He asked, and she shook her head, "Ah, well we know what parlor trick we'll see when they return."

"I wanted to go with them." She pouted.

"You're a bit young, dear." He winced.

"I'm almost 12!" She said, as if he didn't remember her age.

"One day, when you're older, maybe sixteen, Grandpa will take you. Okay?" He said, "I'll make sure he does."

"Will you promise. Double promise?" She asked, scrambling to turn to him.

"Of course." Heimdall said, and picked her up fireman style. She groaned.

"Dad, put me down. I'm too old for this!" She said.

"Nonsense. Never too old to be carried in an embarrassing way by your father. Do you want to see how the village is run, now that I'm acting King?" He asked

"No." Sara said, and Heimdall could imagine her scrunching up her nose in disgust.

"Well, too bad." He said as he opened the doors to the throne room.

Aoife was leafing through the mail that may have just arrived. Some of it was wet looking, like it had gotten attacked by a snowman.

"I hope you gave the mail carrier something for walking through our little storm." Heimdall asked, wincing.

"Yes, I have him some wine. I hope you don't mind." She looked at her daughter sharply, "Sara, you really need to get this under control."

"I can't help it!" She said, stomping her foot.

"Yes, dear. That's the problem." Aoife said, running her hand over her daughter's corkscrew white hair, the ringlets inherited from her mother. Sara batted her hand away.

"Stop touching me, mum." She murmured, ducking away.

"Anything worth dealing with?" Heimdall asked, recalling that one of his lessons of becoming a king was sifting through the daily mail for a couple weeks. In his experience, about half was junk of people over exaggerating and a quarter was notes wanting to have him do ridiculous things. Not much was of much use, but it was a cheap fire wood.

"Well, here's a birth announcement from Wynter." She said, handing over his brother's letter.

"Odin, another boy?" He asked with a chuckle.

"It's their fourth, right?" Aoife asked, and he nodded.

"Claire must really want a girl."

"I wouldn't keep pushing my luck." Aoife winced, recalling how after the third girl she had said that she was not trying again for a boy, because likely they'd only get girls more.

"Hmm. I'll put this in a place for mom and dad later. They'll want to know and visit."

"Maybe we should try to contact them? They can visit on the way back." Aoife suggested. Heimdall raised a finger.

"This is why I married you."

"Can I go?" Sara asked, laying in a most uncomfortable looking position across a chair, "I'm bored!"

"Let her go." Aoife said to Heimdall, "She won't be much help."

"Fine." Heimdall said, dismissing his daughter, "Go and do something useful."

"Hmm. Invitation to a Gala in Spain. Sounds warm." Aoife said, brightening a bit.

"Dad won't go. We might be able to though." Heimdall said as she passed the invite to him.

"Ah yes. I do suppose it must be a bit uncomfortable and awkward when only about half of the people can see you." Aoife agreed.

"Some countries don't believe my mother has a king. I mean, sure there are paintings, but now everyone wants pictures. Unfortunately." He winced, recalling a nasty fight he'd had with a representative from London.

"Well, it would be rude to turn down the invite. I'm sure Sarafina would love to go somewhere." Aoife said, "I don't think that your mom will be too mad if we agree to it and send our names."

"You'd bring Sarafina? She is uncontrolled. I think that's dangerous."

"We all know the stories of what happened when your mother was locked away because she couldn't control her powers." Aoife reminded savagely. Heimdall considered this for a while. Finally he sighed.

"She's young, though." Heimdall still was unsure. Aoife rolled her eyes.

"We'll talk about it. See what Elsa thinks." Aoife said, running her hands over his arms. He put down the mail was going through with little interest and smiled.

"You know," Aoife said, and Heimdall felt his face flush, "I always wondered how comfortable that king's chair is." She said with a feindish smirk.

"How comfortable it is?" He asked, garbling the words as he tried to spit them out.

"Mhmhmm." She said.

"Well, you can sit on it." He said.

"Oh, but clothes provide quite a comfortable cushion. I think for the best results..." She looked at him. His face grew even more red.

"Without clothes?"

"There's practically no one here, and no one would would disturb us. C'mon, Dall." She pleaded, pulling him down.

"Well, I mean-,"

"Shhh..." She winked, "Don't talk. Just act."

Heimdall hadn't felt so young in a long time, nor so dirty. That is, until the door swung open. Aoife was nearly underneath him, so she couldn't see. Heimdall was turned the wrong way so he just prayed it was Gavner, who wouldn't be the worst.

"OMG Odin!" The shrill scream of Sarafina echoed thorough the throne room, and Heimdall just wanted to disappear, "I'm coving my eyes and trying to forget that, so put some clothes on guys! UG! So embarrassing." There was the pitter-patter of footsteps running far away and the couple laughed in the moment.

They righted clothes and re-put things on. Gavner came in, his wrinkles pulled into a smile.

"Well, you're not the first to have this happen to." He said, looking at Aoife's wardrobe, "Missed a button."

"You saw our parents doing it?" Heimdall asked nervously.

"Well no, but it happened in the chair the same way. I don't get what's so sexy about it. It was Izo. Why do you think he didn't talk for two weeks when he was ten."

"I thought he was just going through a weird phase." Heimdal groaned, only imagining the horror of what his younger brother could have possibly seen. He didn't like thinking about it.

"Well, you had more clothes on when Sara found you, if that's any consolation." Gavner said with a grin.

"Ug, no. It's not."

"Yeah, didn't think it would be. Well cheer up, it's not like she'll always be traumatized. And she was going to have to have the birds and the bees talk soon enough. Think of it as a nice lead in."

"Gavner. Can you just..." Aoife asked, her buttons now proper.

"Well, I thought I'd share my nuggets of wisdom, but I can see I'm not wanted." he said, feigning hurt.

"You won't tell the King and Queen about this?" Heimdall asked, glaring.

"Dally, why would you assume I wouldn't?" He asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I scare any of you into thinking that Elsa had died and I just glossed it over? I'm not that evil! And did anyone have a flashback to when Heimdall was just a bit younger than Sara and his father dragged him grudgingly through an area. Ah, like father like daughter. And yup, Wynter really wants that girl XD And with Aoife? You can take the girl out of the shady basement but you can't take the shady basement out of the girl!
> 
> I have the names of Sara's two siblings. Only Sara and middle are magical.
> 
> Middle Child:
> 
> Fiona (fee-OH-nah): Gaelic. Means faire, white, or beautiful. Famous bearers include actress Fiona Shaw, singer Fiona Apple, British journalist Fiona Bruce and Princess Fiona from the 'Shrek' films.  
> Fiona pinnata is the name of a species of sea slug. It is the only species belonging to the Fiona genus.
> 
> Youngest Child:
> 
> Kylie (KEY-lee): Pacific Islander. Means boomerang. From an Australian Aboriginal word for boomerang. Kylie is from the Noongar language in Western Australia and refers to a boomerang that does not return. The name was particularly popular in the 1960s in Australia and has only recently become popular in other parts of the world. Kylie Minogue is an Australian singer.


	38. Chapter 38

"Elsa, pack your bags." Jack's voice boomed in the throne room,causing Elsa to startle. Her hip moaned in pain at the sudden movement. Yes, she was not quite as springy as she once had been, in fact practically immobile if she let herself. But she would not. She was still a queen, and a good one at that, who would not let something as aching joints keep her from waking to a job she loved.

"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband. Time had aged him well, she thought with a little laughter. In fact, he was not a 17 year old as he had once been, but not a 71 year old like she was. He had aged gracefully if one knew not his half-way immortal being, and he was content at around the age of twenty-nine. Ah, if only everyone could stay at that age of beauty and innocence forever.

"Pack your bag, Elsa. We're going on an adventure. Pack things for a week!"

Elsa narrowed her eyes, giggling softly. "Of what occasion?" She asked, tilting her head. Jack looked a little hurt.

"You don't remember?" He asked, sucking in hard.

Elsa stared hard at him. "I haven't forgotten that our 50th anniversary is in nine days, if that's what you're referring to, but I hardly think it requires such a long trip preceding it."

Jack looked even more hurt, but recovered quickly, "Too bad, hon. I've wiped your schedule. Heimdall is dying to get into that chair again...and hopefully not do as naughty things." He said, and Elsa winced. Yes, the chair had been sanitized thoroughly, but still.

"We'll be there for Rin's wedding, won't we?" Elsa asked cautiously. Jack looked very offended.

"Miss my baby's wedding? What kind of father do you think I am?" He asked hotly.

"Well, it's two days after our anniversary, and you are quite forgetful dear." Jack may have been more hurt, had she been wrong. The truth of the matter was that she was indeed right. Jack perhaps would have not even recalled the exact date of the wedding, he only really knew it was approaching, had Heimdall not come to him asking his opinion on a gift for the pair.

"Hey! Looks great...when's the wedding again?" He asked, and Heimdall dropped the sketch, eyeing his father.

"Eleven days. I'm older than you dad and I still remember," Heimdall shook his head.

"I knew that! I was just making sure you knew that." Jack insisted quickly. Heimdall just shook his head.

So yes, he was quite aware, and thankfully so. He would have hated to ask his wife the date, and then the wrath of Queen Elsa would have descended on him with great speed and anger.

While Jack was thanking Odin, Loki, Thor, Jesus, The Man in the Moon, and every other deity, Elsa was contemplating her daughter.

She had once feared her first born daughter would never get over her heartbreak. Yes, she had evolved so much than what she had first started, but for a while she just wasn't getting out there. Her and Xanthe had once told her that they were fine single, they didn't need men to define them. Yet Xathe had settled down by the age of 30, and was very happy. Elsa perhaps had to be grateful though- Elsa her share of relationships, although none infinite like Elsa and Jack were. Yet, she was not gallivanting around with men in the way Alfsol did, she was respectful and lady-like with her sparse dates.

Afsol-what a handful! He was very old now, but still seemed to have a harem of women at his disposal. Elsa supposed he could be considered attractive, but it was very questionable how he picked all these ladies up. Once, it was slightly impressive to be able to say, 'Hi, I'm the 6th heir to the throne!' and have at least 2/3 of women find that attractive and worth their time. But now? Elsa doubted that that line, which would now be changed to, "Hi there. I'm Alfsol and I'm the 19th in line for the throne' would impress a rock to sleep with him, much less a woman. Still, Anna was always frustrated when she found him drunk on the floor with a woman's underwear across his face, that did not look old at all but in fact was a little square of lace. Ew.

Back to Rin, Elsa reminded herself. Rin had been 35 when she'd met the most wonderful man in the world. He was not from around here, and right off the bat was intrigued and almost non-concerned about her frost abilities. They were still together 12 years later. And Rin always said they didn't need to get married, that they didn't need those labels and such because they were in love and faithful and that was it. Things became a little more complicated after children though.

She didn't have any of her own. Her time was rather up by the time they met and even begun talking about the possibility together. For awhile, Rin had been slightly disappointed that all their tries led to nothing, and begun to accept that she was just going to become the best aunt that ever lived. Then, a miracle in the darkest of places stood out.

Her fiancee's best friend was a single dad to a two-year old son and a new-born daughter when he met an untimely, tragic, and sudden demise. It was a heart failure that no one could ever predict. The children's mother had been absent since the little girl was born-straight up and left when she realized that the man was not made of money, and it was useless to try to get more. With no other family and nearly insane grandparents, Rin had immediately offered to take them in. Now they were three and five and had no inkling of any parents other than Rin and her soon to be husband. In fact, when the two decided to marry for the future of their new children- in case something ever happened- the two little ones were ecstatic. Elsa was informed when the four came to visit, and the children began running around gleefully crying, "Mommy and Daddy are getting married!" It was possibly the most adorable thing that Elsa had ever seen. She loved them like they were Rin's flesh and blood. Of course, they would never have thier mother's magic, but she had plently of other grandchildren that did and would pass it on.

Perhaps, Elsa thought, if Jack was intelligent enough (and on occasion he was) their holiday would end in Scotland to see the marriage of Princess Rin Frost and Lord Kane of McGuffin.

Then a thought hit Elsa. There was a wedding in 11 days! She couldn't go around for nine of those to lord knows where! There was still so much to do!

"Jack." Elsa sighed, "There are..." But she looked at his blue eyes and everything she was going to say just fell, "Fine. I'll pack." She said, appeasing him. He grinned.

"We leave at noon!" He announced with a grand gesture, and bowed, "To you, m'lady." His excitement practically oozed from every movement.

"Any idea where I'm going, Gavner?" She asked when her friend came in. Gavner gave a puzzled look.

"You're leaving?"

"Oh, he hasn't told you?" Elsa grumbled, predicting that Jack was most likely telling Heimdall of his responsibility for the next week as they spoke. But then Gavner chuckled.

"No, I know. I just wanted to mess with you. And I don't know, so don't ask." He added at Elsa's hopeful face.

"Ah, well." Elsa nodded to him, clasping her hands, "I'll leave you to prepare for my departure, then."

She sat on her bed a long while, just staring out of the window she'd looked out of for so many years, first as a young child bouncing on her parent's bed, and then when she and Jack first slept that night after she made everything okay again. She wondered where she was going.

There was some part of Jack that belonged to the wind. He was not so easily confined. His winter trips used to bother her, but now, she understood his intrinsic need to go out in gusts of power. It was the restlessness that brought him onto the roof when the moon was full, it was the way he bounced when he'd been sitting at meetings too long. In a way, Elsa was proud of herself. She had controlled her winter and captured the rest of the worlds. If she was a queen with worse vices, perhaps she would contain him.

She laughed after. Nothing could contain Jack. Unless he couldn't be seen. But then, whoever was to capture him would be accidental. He really was a peculiar man, even after all those years.

She packed light and responsibly, but still with a little caution. Jack could take her anywhere. Literally, anywhere. At noon, she met him with a bag in her hand.

"Where to?" She asked. He kissed her.

"Wherever you want, I guess." He shrugged, as if he hadn't really thought it out.

"I want to go to where we met." Elsa said after a quiet moment.

Jack laughed, "Anywhere in the world? And you pick a place two hours away?" Elsa shrugged.

"Jack, I'm an old woman. I like simple things, dear." Jack ran a couple fingers through her hair, and smiled.

"I suppose wherever the lady requires is where we go." He said, "You know, I haven't been back there since you were..." He gulped. Even after 50 years, the image of Elsa captured in those bonds made him furious.

"I know. Me neither. But I think we need to go back." She said sagely. He nodded in quiet agreement.

"Then we shall." He lugged their bags on his back and had his staff out. He smiled, grinning and held out a hand.

"Let's go home?" He asked meekly, and Elsa kissed his knuckles.

"Yes." She agreed, "Home." The words just drifted from her lips like a mist, and she was surprised herself. Was this not home? Yet the yearning to go back to that place, which at the same time held such awful memories, was so enchantingly lovely she could not possibly resist.

The fly was more strenuous than she recalled, and Jack noted immediately.

"If this is too much-," He began.

"Nonsense, Jack. Just a little not used to it." She said, pushing back the pains.

And besides, they were already there. The castle stood, slightly sagging, but still standing. The walkway, the magical bridge she had made in her youth, was shattered in the middle. Jack repaired it, much to her slight annoyance. She had created this place. Shouldn't she be the one to fix it?

Inside, ice splinters lay everywhere and certain parts had begun to thaw during the warmer times, but in all it's majesty the castle was still there. Memories flooded her conscience as she stepped inside. The chandelier rattled with the open door.

"Do you think anyone else found it?" She asked suddenly, turning, and eying the darkened corners warily.

"No one could survive in a house made of ice for more than a couple hours." Jack said dismissing the idea, "And with the broken bridge, how could anyone get here." Her fears were soothed.

Jack expected her to freak out when they reached the room where she had nearly killed the men before she'd been captured, which still looked ugly and jagged with hard spears jutting up through the floor. Instead, Elsa just laughed. Of all the noises, laughed.

"I was so foolish and young, Jack." She said, and melted the dangerous things, "Wasn't I?"

"A bit." He agreed, unsure how to approach her, totally unaware of what emotions may be swirling violently, ready to lash out at any time. Elsa seemed completely collected, though, and just shook her head as if she could read Jack's mind.

"No..." He didn't know how to finish his question.

"I'm fine. I am not a killer, I know that now. I wish I had acted with better poise, but I had never been taught the things that you attempted to in those short days. I understand why my parents locked me away, but I wish they had not. They made me fear it. There is a sour taste on my tongue therefore when I remember them, that I wish wasn't." It seemed her emotions were not so very composed, as the words spilled out of her in a long confession.

She turned to him, in a sudden movement that startled Jack. "I want to make this place last Jack." She said, a fire burning in her eyes.

"We have, Elsa." He said, spinning around.

"No. Not just 50 years, but 100 or 200 or 500 years after it was created. I want us to make it so grand and beautiful that when everything else about the snow king and queen has eluded the memories of the generation, this still remains."

"It will take some time." Jack said with a grin, "We can build from these frames. As a 21-year-old, your architecture was near flawless."

"Oh, it was merely adequate. I've studied the inner-workings and frankly I'm surprised that the ceiling hasn't collapsed yet." She chuckled.

"Don't be so modest." Jack said, stepping lightly on his feet to fly to the chandelier, "This is still here."

"A miracle." Elsa said, and pushed up her sleeves and opened her trunk, "Good thing I packed my favorite pair of slacks. This is not a job for a dress."

"Aww..." Jack complained, "But in a dress it's so easy to-,"

Elsa gave him a hard glare and he ate his words. She changed quickly, and did her hair up in a braid.

"Where to begin, Queen?" Jack asked.

"How about the best room?" She asked. Jack's eyebrows raised.

"And what room is that?" He asked, but he felt like he knew the answer. Elsa's eyes twinkled.

"Our bedroom." Jack's kiss was ferocious, and for a moment, Elsa forgot about everything but him and how he was in that moment that she wished she could capture in a bottle.

Everything was just utterly perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I added a section with Rin in, because you all wanted me to so badly and through your love for her, it made me love her even more :)
> 
> So here's the fun facts about her fiancee for you. His ancestor is Merida! I imagine him to look like her, but in a man form. Like a genderbent Merida, actually. Merida's name means honor and Kane in traditional scottish means honor as well. The reason his name isn't DunBrouch is because in the original plans of Brave, Merida was going to end up with the awkward fat Young McGuffin. Even though I'm a Merida/Hiccup supporter, this is a reasonably historically correct story and those two were literally centuries apart. I kinda support McGuffin/Merida. I like to imagine at the games, she perhaps had a slight crush on him, but her insistence to be single won over. She sees him years later and he's handsome and really grown up and the end up together. Years and years later, Kane is born and he marries Rin.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...also, I thought it may be cool to give you the list of songs I listened to while writing this chapter, in case you wanted to get in the mood. Depending how slow or fast or a reader you are you may or may not get through this whole list. It's long because I spent a long time on this chapter...there had to be a perfection to it.
> 
> 1) Winterfell- Ramin Djawandi
> 
> 2) Arrival of the Birds- Cinematic Orchestra
> 
> 3) To Build a Home-Cinematic Orchestra
> 
> 4) Simon and Alisha Forever- Vince Pope
> 
> 5) Life and Death- Michael Giacchino
> 
> If you still need another song after that you're either on the ground in a ball crying unable to finish the chapter or a really slow reader.

It began so simply. With colds.

Jack was in denial. Elsa never got colds. She got ill, she threw up, she caught little bugs the children caught, but never in her life had she been reduced to sneezing or sniffles. How could he have not seen it. How could have been so blind when she began to carry a handkerchief in her back pocket, and she always inhaled, pulling back her muck.

After that, she just wanted to sleep. "I'm just tired Jack." She said with a yawn.

"But it's the council meeting." Jack said weakly, "You never miss those."

"I've attended for fifty-six years. One day won't let the town burn." She said, and turned back over and curled up. Yet, one day turned into more until she was so tired that her bed became the place to find her most often.

And lastly, it all came together and Jack was so blindsided by it all he couldn't breath. How did he not know?

FROZEN

That day, Anna sat in her house. She was clutching her coffee so violently she wondered how the glass had not shattered yet. The squeal of children came from beside the fire place, where Xanthe tended to all those who were too small for this day, too innocent. She did not mind the task, because deep down, she felt Xanthe was there for her mother more than anything.

Kristoff sat across from her, his gaze vacant. He had a thick gray beard and eyes that held years of knowledge, and his hands scarred and calloused. He was looking over her shoulder, and Anna knew where his eyes led him. Sven's area.

It was naive to believe that Sven would live forever. Even so, he lived longer than the average reindeer. And it wasn't like it was totally recent that Sven had passed, decades indeed. He had lived a happy life, and had died of natural causes, to be buried in the royal graveyard- a happy end for such a friend, Elsa had proclaimed. It had been years since Kristoff had allowed himself to let himself be sad; it was just a reindeer. But it wasn't.

Anna studied him, how empty he was. How his shoulders sagged and his scars seemed to gleam in the lamp light. She sipped her cold coffee.

"Kristoff." She whispered. He looked at her and she saw something in his eyes she had not seen many other times in his life; tears. Oh, but they weren't all for Sven. Today hit him harder than most, and he was not afraid to admit it.

"Should we..." He looked at the door, his voice cracking.

"And do what?" Anna shook her head, "There is nothing to be done. We're better off here." She only half-believed her own words.

In that moment, Anna realized time was infinitely spinning away from her even though it danced across the pads of her fingers, so close, but yet so unpalatable.

"I love you." Kristoff said hollowly, and forced a smile out. It was so endearing and all that Anna momentarily forgot everything but her husband.

"I love you more." She said almost automatically, and Kristoff gave a genuine grin back this time.

Everything was going to be okay, wasn't it?

Yet from across the room there was a startled shriek from Eloise's five-year-old daughter and a gasp from Xanthe. Olaf was in a puddle on the ground. Xanthe quickly revived him before he was totally gone, but he did not greet everyone with his warm hug mantra per usual. Instead, he looked at Anna who was just frozen, half-way off her chair, fingers grasping the edge so hard her knuckles turned white.

"I felt it." Olaf said, the understanding so strong that it broke Anna from her daze. She got up so quickly that the chair was thrown back against a wall and the doorknob may have broken by her forceful swing. Kristoff was behind her, with Xanthe but they all fell back in the maze of castle corridors.

She hadn't run so hard in years and she gripped the excess fabric with force in her fists, stumbling over her own feet in her haste. Any servant who saw her stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.

There was surprised murmurs when Anna reached the king and Queen's hall- everyone was here with their children and spouses, just waiting. Even Eira, Kai, and Nevada had made their way back when they got Kristoff's letter. All the Queen's Children and most of the grandchildren sat here. They parted as Anna stormed in like a raging twister, and fell against the door.

Her fingers fumbled for the knob, but she found it locked.

"Jack!" She cried, pounding hard, "Jack Frost. JACK! Let me in! Let me in! It's my sister Jack. Please! JACK!" She continued to pound and hit the door, even kicking it, and finally buried her tears in a hand, and took the moment to look behind her. Heimdall's face was pale with realization, and Nevada and Neela were the closest ones who were crying.

"The door won't open. He's locked it. THAT SELFISH ASS!" She cried when Kristoff arrived, hitting the door again.

"I can fix that." Alfsol said, and looked at Heimdall, "Come on."

The men surged to open the door while Anna was held tight in Kristoff's embrace. The door was finally wrenched open, splinters flying at the hinges and immediately the whole hall was hit with a gust of wind.

Anna stumbled in, but found it devoid of life.

FROZEN

Not ten minutes previous, Jack was still in denial.

All the adornments had been stripped away that week, at Elsa' request. Just the furniture lay bare in her room, cryptic and foretelling. Elsa lay, and Jack sat with his head bowed to the point of nearly touching her nose.

"I'm not afraid." Elsa whispered, her voice ticking his feelings.

"I am. Life without you is a scary thought." Jack's voice was hardly audible. Elsa raised a hand to his face.

"I can't remember the last time you cried." She said, and like a maternal instinct, wiped away a tear with her thumb. Jack nuzzled into her palm, closing his eyes tight.

"Oh, Elsa." He shook his head, "Why now? I thought...I thought..."

"We had time." Elsa finished pursing her lips, "I had hoped so. But I've been able to love you for more than fifty years. I couldn't ask for anything better." She said with a content smile.

"No. Infinity would not be enough time for me. Elsa, I swear to God, I will find you in every life time until I die. Then in my future lives, I will find you and I will love you."

"You're such a sweetie." Elsa chuckled, "But don't feel tied so much to me. I would not blame you if you were to find someone else. Just a companion. Life is awful lonely alone. I think you've forgotten that feeling."

"Odin, Elsa. To imagine loving anyone else makes me feel sick." Jack said, bowing his head low, and in all truthfulness his stomach heaved.

"You flatter me." She said, turning her face up.

"You deserve it."

Elsa sighed, "Can there be snow at my funeral? I want there to be snow. And forget me nots."

"Don't talk like that." Jack's hands clenched involuntarily, and he felt a mini arrow of pain piece his heart.

"Jack. We all know what's going to happen soon." Elsa said, "I am ready, I believe. Can you...lay by me and hold me until it happens?" She asked, the first tune of uncertainty slipping past her brave facade.

Jack couldn't find words as he crawled in next to her, pulling her against his chest, and burying his face in her neck. His tears made rivers down her neck.

"Jack don't cry." She said, her voice failing at the end, "It's so beautiful..." She murmured hazily.

"Elsa I love. I love you." He said, "I would have gone to the end of the world to make you better, if you had only told me, you stubborn queen." His laugh was more of a wheeze.

"I was not made to live forever." Elsa sniffed, "And I love you too Jack."

Jack held her tighter, and she didn't speak again. When he lifted his head again, her eyes were filling with fog.

"I thought I was going to be alone forever." She said with a smile, "I'll thank the Man in the Moon when I meet him there." She promised.

"You're not meant to be alone." He said, but his words were all too futile. Her eyes were gone. So was Elsa. If there was pain in her passing, he couldn't see it. He suspected so, but that Elsa had hid it. She would do something like that.

"Elsa?" He said, hoping she'd answer, "Elsa? Odin, Elsa no! Elsa I'm not ready. There was so much to say still!" He cried, jumping on the other side, feeling her neck. He shouldn't have been so hopeful. He shouldn't have expected so much. He was let down.

Angrily, he turned around and his powers raged; he lost control. He had never lost control before. Frost was splattered on the walls like a slash of a paintbrush, and the candles went out in the bitter chill. He turned and kicked a chair in frustration and made the curtains ice. He let he anger and sadness seep in until there was nothing left but agony of the loosing of one like her.

He ended up clutching her blankets and sobbing between dry heaving. In that moment, he saw the light filter in through their window. He stood, and turned Elsa to a more natural position, and closed her eyes.

He did his work and scrawled a note on a sheet of paper

FROZEN

Anna looked around the room, and saw the window open. She didn't attend to that first. She went to her sister, but saw her in a beautiful coffin made of ice, and knew her sister would have been pleased. Jack had turned her and made her look like she was merely sleeping. A frosty imprint of where his lips had kissed her cheek and her lips one last time remained, and Anna collapsed.

THe pain of her parents death swirled inside of her belly, and she wasn't strong enough to move. Kristoff came in and did a once around.

"Look at this." He said, and nudged Anna from the bedside. The wardrobe which was so carefully guarded was broken open with a frost shard and the contents were empty, signifying Jack must have taken it. His king's uniform was crumpled on the floor, and Anna wondered if his clothes she had once heard Elsa speak of had been in the wardrobe. A piece of paper jabbed into the wall with a shard of ice hung over the crumpled white clothes.

I was not made to be king forever. I loved Elsa more than life, but I can only been king if she is my queen.

Frost

"He's probably just blowing off steam somewhere. We can inform Heimdall he's the new king, permanently now, I suppose though. We have to make funeral arrangements soon." Kristoff said, gathering himself. Anna was vacant. He sighed.

"Jack will return. Jack loves her." He said, and once again just held her while everyone streamed in to see the remains of the snow queen.


	40. Chapter 40

That winter was the worst the world had ever seen. After Elsa's death in mid October, the storms were so violent and so dangerous that some people in other places wondered if it was the end of time. Jack was on a rampage, unstoppable. His ferocity translated in the storms that racked havoc on countries all over the world. No spirit could get through to him. Spring was useless to a heartbreak and winter continued into June until suddenly, the storms stopped.

The next year, there was hardly a winter at all. A few amateur attempts at blizzards from lesser snow spirits, but it hardly dusted pavements and never stayed overnight. And, amazingly, frost was absent from the grass and window panes that year. Some people said it was like a sort of a 'I'm sorry about last year' gift from whatever god they prayed to. Some were even annoyed by the lack of snow, but hardly did anyone think once the reasoning. It was only those of Arendelle that understood.

Winter was gone. Jack Frost had not been seen or heard from in two years.

FROZEN

The winters came back, but there was not the light playfulness that Jack had brought with it, and all that Heimdall could surmise was there were new spirits that had hastily taken over. Wherever his father was, it wasn't him. At least, not voluntarily. Azura went out to help and meet some, but she never came back with a good expression. She was failing at taking her father's place in the magical realm, and it haunted her.

What did Jack do, while he was away, many often wondered.

Jack began a vagabond. After his departure from the Queen's body, he stumbled out of Norway with little intention of coming back. His promise to Elsa burnt deep into his brain; he would find her again. He had to.

And besides, he figured, someone so magnificent would be back in this world in no time at all. He would find her again, and he would make her fall in love again. They were destined to be together. No person could fit each other better than each other, and Odin he she was probably laughing at his pathetic results right now if she could see him.

He was fairly sure she wouldn't re-appear in Norway. Jack searched for eight years, wandering in and out of cities and countries, never staying more than a couple days. He'd ask those that could see him for a girl whatever age she may be- in between eight and newborn, with white hair and blue eyes and a face that looked like the painting of his queen.

"She's my daughter, and she was taken from me." He would lie, "I love her very much, and I'm trying to find her." She was taken from him, by death. He did love her. He was trying to find her. Nearly all was true. Occasionally, someone would point him to Norway, but he told them firmly that he had no connection with anyone who lived there, and he was absolutely sure of it. The 'mother' just had a striking resemblance to the queen, which, oh she died? No, he hadn't heard.

The lie sunk deeper into his breaking heart every time he told it.

There were rumors of Jack Frost wandering and looking for a daughter, but few believed it. He was well renown for never looking any older than perhaps thirty, and never changing clothes. Some assumed him to be some sort of vengeful spirit. The idea of Jack Frost became misconstrued and children were told of him less and less in following years.

By the eight year, Jack was feeling helpless. The moon always seemed to be shrouded in mist, as if purposely avoiding Jack's questions thrown angrily into the night. The moon, which had never spoken before, seemed more cryptic than he could ever remember.

By ten years after, Jack lost hope. He was becoming weary and tired. He wanted to hold her again, to look into her eyes and see the love that he had become dependent on. It was a craving, his addiction, and he was suffering greatly. Maybe this is why he had never met an immortal that had fallen in love. It was so painful to endure, one would wonder why anyone bothered at all? Yet the memories of Elsa swam in the back of his mind, and he was reminded. It was because love was utterly beautiful and free from judgement.

It felt like he was dying, when he stumbled back into Norway territory. When he reached the ice-castle, he felt anger. Momentarily, he wanted to tear it down, destroy it. He understood what Gavner had meant when he couldn't go back to the house where he and his wife had lived. She made it. It was hers. And every translucent wall was like a mirror into his heart.

He went outside the ice wall and angrily smashed the bottom of his staff into the rock, taking his anger out. Why did she have to die? She could have lived so much longer, if he'd only gone to America or England for the newest medicine. She had years left. She was so selfish, leaving him. Didn't she realize how much he needed her?

The rock beneath his feet crumbled, and all of a sudden, Jack was falling. His arm smashed against a rock with force, and the pain shot through his appendage. Jack fell to a tiny cave coated in snow, and just lay there. His only movement was curling into a ball and refusing to get up.

He lay there a whole year, and then some. The transformation came slowly. The first week, he was so hungry it almost made him get up. Eating had become a pleasure in life; he didn't really need to eat to live, but he had eaten food for almost 100 years, and it was a hard hollow pang that followed. That went away.

Secondly, his air left him. The crevice where he'd fallen iced over and snow piled on, leaving his chamber airtight. Once again, he realized he didn't need air to survive because he wasn't even really alive to begin with. Elsa had made him so. Elsa was his life, and now she was gone.

He once was cut by a falling rock, but he did not bleed, and the scar which proved his mortality was invisible. He felt like that was one of the last things left of his old life, the life of joy and happiness.

Thirdly, his appearance changed as he went back to being a complete immortal being. Jack was no longer 30. Jack was 17. He could not tell, of course, but he felt something light in his chest like sun and warmth and he hated it. It was a bubbling freeness he'd felt as a young, naive, and loveless spirit. He killed that feeling quickly in his misery. He was fine to be there forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jack. He's going through a major character change right now that some may conister OOC in a few chapters, but I hope by setting this up, he's more understandable for why he acts this way. All he wants is Elsa back :(


	41. Chapter 41

Azura thundered through the castle. She slammed the doors open to the throne room even though there were guards shouting after her. Heimdall, who was in the middle of a meeting with the economics advisor, brightened at the appearance of his sister. He politely told his meeting to go to his office, where he'd be shortly. Heimdall rose to greet Azura, but she was having none of it.

"Azura! No hug? Your letters have been brief and few in between, and now, after more than a year gone, not even a hug?" He teased.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Dad was back?" She screeched. Heimdall's face shifted.

"What?"

"Dad. Here. In Norway. I could sense it as soon as I stepped off the boat. Odin, Heimdall this isn't something that should have waited. You should have told me." She hit him across the arm. He reeled.

"Azura, I haven't seen him here. He hasn't been seen for twelve years. He's not here." He said.

"Impossible." She spat, "His presence is strong. I'd say he's been right under your noses for at least six months, if not more."

"Well I haven't see him." Heimdall said firmly, "He is still our father. He would have came and seen us if he were here."

"Then he must be in trouble. Heimdall, I have to go find him!"

"Woah, there." Heimdall grabbed his sister's arm, "You just returned. You're weary. You're in no shape to go out in a blizzard looking for a man who...let's face it...doesn't want to be found. Maybe I was wrong about what I just said. Dad didn't even come back for mom's funeral or my coronation." The saddened betrayal struck Azura to a halt. She looked at her brother's eyes, which were shining with held back tears.

"He's still our father, no matter how horrible he's been." She said.

"Please, wait on it. You'll hurt yourself if you go now. Sleep the night, at least.' He pleaded. Azura bit her cheek sourly.

"Fine." She snapped, "Only because I can hardly keep my eyes awake." She agreed sourly.

Early the next morning, Azura was explaining her feelings the the rest of the brood.

"It's unlikely you'll find him." Wynter sighed, "I don't feel like losing another family member."

"It's dad!" Vienna cried, "We have to try."

"Hell, he left us. He only cared about Mom, but not even enough to really say goodbye to her! He's a coward!" Nevada hissed angrily, back in the castle for only a month or so.

"Don't say that! He loves us. I know he does." Eira argued, "I deserve his anger more than anyone, but he never gave up on me. We can't give up on him now."

"I'm going. I was just informing you, I didn't fancy an opinion." Azura said quietly.

"Well, then I'm going too." Caulton stepped forward, "I'm the youngest of the magic children. If dad doesn't want to be found, there's sure as hell going to be ice and snow. He wouldn't hide out in the tropics of Norway, if there were one." He gave a side glance at Azura, who nodded in relief at his support.

"I'm going too." Colbourne said, "I'm not missing out on this."

"Colbourne," Vienna sighed, "With all due respect, you'd probably just slow them down. You're blind."

"But I can do everything you all can, except see. I can hear like a bat, smell like a shark, and taste the air like a cougar stalking it's prey." He said, "I'm not immobile."

"If you died..." Azura began shakily.

"I know you blame yourself, but you saved me." He said, turning to his sister, referring to the instance that blinded him.

"Exactly. But I would be responsible if you came this time." She said firmly, "And I can't let that happen."

"Bullshit. Let me come. I'll follow you anyway."

"He has a point, you know." Berlio agreed.

"I have no problem with it." Caulton said, and Azura made a squeaking sound of protest.

"Should the triplets go then?" Izo asked, looking to the burliest and only triplet who had yet to offer to go. Caldwell raised an eyebrow.

"I hate the cold. No sir, I'm fine here." He said, removing himself from the expedition.

"Better off that way." Rin said with a smirk, "Your footsteps set off avalanches."

"I'm coming too." There was a voice from the door. Princess Sarafina, now a regal woman of her mid-thirties, descended into the room.

"You don't want to." Nevada began to tell her, but she shook her head.

"I'm the youngest that really remembers Jack. My siblings were too young when Elsa died. I...I want to find my Grandfather." She said, "And I'm no child anymore."

"What does the King say?" Kai asked, frowning. She looked at her uncle.

"I don't care what my father says. I am a grown woman and I will do what I please!"

"I would appreciate a fellow female." Azura said, and that was all it took to make Sara smile widely.

"When do we leave?"

The small band left at noon. Heimdall watched them leave with worry, but hope. He missed his father. Aoife hugged him. He knew with certainty that without his father, he would have never married this girl. He could only imagine the grief he'd go through if she died. In that moment, he understood his father's departure. Aoife, noticing his expression, gave a twitch of a smile.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere, my love." She said, ruffling his hair, "Not for a while."

The group set out into a soft gentle storm. Blizzards were quite unusual now, with Jack gone. Azura confirmed the absence in power.

"The realm behind ours is going mad. They need Jack back. Well, to be quite honest, spring and fall are quite pleased with his disappearance. All the seasons cooperate once again on the defined and structured three month season schedule. Summer longs for winter, the other half. It can be as hot as it pleases, but it's no fun without Jack making it cold as hell frozen over the rest of the time." Azura explained as they trudged through the snow.

"The storms are worse as we continue, though." Sarafina commented, pulling the drawstrings of her hood tight, "I think that's a sign."

"Yes, I feel his presence stronger." Azura agreed.

It was nearly dark when they reached the peaks.

"I think we should stop somewhere for the night." Caulton said, "It's unsafe to go farther and Colbourne..." He sighed, looking at his brother.

"What? You think it's dangerous to travel with little light?" There was a angry scoff, "I travel every day in night. In fact, I'd be more useful than any of you."

"I was going to say that if you were up for it, Col, you could scout ahead and see if you could find or sense anything." Caulton said, sighing, "I know you're like a bandit in the night. You can sneak around the castle at two A.M and scare the living daylight out of me still."

"One of my many talents.' Colbourne said loftily. Sara giggled behind her hand, a very un-woman like giggle but one of a child.

"Let's get into this cave. I need to lay down if we're not going to find dad tonight- my headache is killing me." She said, rubbing her temple.

The cavern was small, and there was a faint dripping nose of probably a leaky roof somewhere back. "Are you sure there's no lion this time?" Colbourne asked lightly, punching his sister. She pulled a face at him. She stalked inside with a huff, leaving him unanswered.

"She's really touchy about it, isn't she." Sara commented.

"She thinks joking about it is wrong. I don't care honestly. Sight is for the weak." Colborne replied with a smirk, his fingers spidering over the walls of the cave. He ducked down and each step was precise and left an echo, Sara noted. It was perfectly orchestrated, and she could make out his head swiveling around, as if to capture the cave in sounds as best he could.

Azura was already kindling a fire, and cussed when it flickered out. "We should have brought Rizpah." She muttered.

"She would have little interest." Caulton said with a scrunch of his nose, "Let me try." He took the flint from his aged sister and a few sparks rained on the kindling. Soon there was a small fire going, and three travelers pressed as close as they could to it, warming their hands. Azura was siting with her back against the rock, seeming already asleep. Sara knew not to worry about her aunt catching a chill.

"Stop staring, Princessa." Azura said, snapping an eye open and regarding her niece.

"Sorry." Sara's eyes moved down, "Any good stories?"

"I could always describe you to yourself." Colbourne offered, "People have great fun hearing what I see you as."

"Pfft." Azura scoffed, "He'll say you have purple hair, three eyes, and a extra toe protruding from your bellybutton. HIs descriptions are hardly creatively assumed." She said, and Colborne pouted.

"Don't ruin my visions!" He said, "It's not fun imaging you all how you really look. I like to think Azura may have turned into a terrible dragon somewhere down the line, with ugly scales and leathery wings. And Caulton is a fuzzy little kitten."

"What?" Caulton sputtered, "A fuzzy little kitten?" He gaped.

"With pink furry paws." Colbourne amended, "And you, Sara, are a regal liger."

"She gets to be a liger- and I'm a kitten?" His brother's voice was outraged.

"Oh, I can just see your fur puffing out and the claws scraping the floor." Colbourne replied with mirth, "Yes, much more fun to see a dragon, a kitten, and a liger than three people."

"So we're all just animals to you?" Azura asked, cracking a smile.

"No, of course not." Colbourne waved his hand in a dismissal, "Most people are just people- all the same looking of course, like copies. Most of the palace people are animals, and Eira's son Ernest is a potato. A talking potato."

"Poor Ernest." Sara muttered, "Why a potato?"

"I think it's because I recall mom saying he looked like a potato when he was born. The idea was too funny in my mind, so that's what he is."

"Is he aware of his unfortunate standings?"

"No, no. No one knows what I see them as. Except you lot." He added.

"What are mom and dad?" Azura asked softly.

"Nothing but. Those are two faces...I could never forget." There was a quiet that seemed to have fallen over the four, and Sara's uncle was no longer chuckling and laughing.

"Was he a good dad?" Sara asked softly. It was one thing to be a good grandfather, but she had little idea what he was like previous to her birth.

"He loved us all, no matter what Nevada says. It broke him when she couldn't see him. We all thought he was going to refuse to exist." Azura said, her eyes hollow, "I would never doubt for one second that he doesn't still love us."

"He was a good father. Caring, affectionate, but stern." Caulton agreed, wincing with a little laugh, "For us guys, he was the best wingman." He nudged his brother, "And, well, since he was sort of our age, he understood. At least about our emotions and girls and all those things."

"I doubt I'd be with my wife if it weren't for dad. He set up your mom and dad though too." Colbourne agreed. Sara giggled.

"I've heard the stories."

"He was always thinking of us. I doubted once the winter could be so contained yet, he stayed. He loved travel and riding on breezes, but he was undeniably happy. But I think what really made him stay was mom." Azura said, biting her lip hard, "I miss her so much." Her voice cracked at the end of her whisper.

"We better get some rest." Caulton sighed, "I'm exhausted and emotionally drained." He admitted. Azura wiped her tears on the back of her hand swiftly, and nodded.

Sarafina rolled out a sleeping bag and snuggled up inside of it. She missed her grandmother too. She missed the way Elsa was so gentle but such a storm. She missed the effortless ice crystals that she once made snow for every one of Sara's birthdays. She missed the way her grandmother stood and the way she was so eccentric in her older days, and never failed to make the castle feel as comfortable as a log cabin. Yes, the world was a much darker place without Elsa Frost.

In the morning, Sara awoke first. It was nearly sun-up.

"Shall we get moving?" Azura woke a moment after her, stirring her brothers.

"Do you ever hope to wake in the morning and open your eyes and see?" Sara asked her uncle, who shook his head.

"Nope." He said, popping his 'p', "It would frankly overwhelm me. The darkness is comforting. I learned there is nothing to fear from it."

"Come on." Azura was tapping her foot impatiently, "I know where to head."

They followed Azura up a steep incline. On the other side, the four stopped. The castle took their breath away.

"Mom..." Caulton wheezed, "It's the castle Aunt Anna told us of. It's real!"

"Did you think it was all stories?" Azura asked, her even she was amazed.

"Do you think Grandpa is there?" Sarafina asked. Azura eyed it warily.

"No." She said after a long moment, "I feel him, but not from there. Oh, that would be too easy. Now wouldn't it?" She asked. Sarafina jumped down from the small ledge they sat on to an untouched expanse of snow.

"Well, then where is he?"

Azura shook her head. "I'm not su-,"

One moment she had been watching Sara stride across, and the next, she was gone. There was a darkened space underneath her feet and the echoing of a scream.

"Sara!"

Sara heard her name being called faintly from above. Her whole body ached, and she realized dizzily just how far she'd fallen. She shifted, and there was something underneath her that for sure was not just the bottom of the cave.

"Oh Odin, it's a dead animal. I don't want to see this." She said, squealing and forcing herself to look.

At first she only saw what she thought to be fabric. Worse, it was a corpse. But then, she saw the light shine through the arm connected to the fabric. It glimmered through the appendage in a unnatural way, and she scrambled away.

"Grandpa?" She whispered so softly she didn't think he would hear. He didn't respond. She assumed he didn't hear. She went and poked him.

"Leave me." He hissed.

"Oh my gods." She said, and turned him on his back. His eyes snapped open and for a moment, he looked relieved even grateful. Then, something hardened and he sighed.

"Oh. Hello, Sara." He said tensely. Sara backed away. She wondered if, for a moment, with her hair in a braid, he'd mistaken her for Elsa. Some said she shared her grandmother's features.

"Sara? Oh, Sara!" Cautlon was leaning into the crevice she'd fallen in.

"I found him! He's here!" She cried. She soon realized, after a bit of prodding, that her grandfather had no intention of moving, in fact he told her to stay away from him and let him die. Caulton would have none of that, and hoisted his father out.

In the sun, his body was nearly translucent.


	42. Chapter 42

"Eat something, dad." Azura said, offering the now cold piece of bread as they sat around the fire. Their father had been strangely cryptic and silent the whole time, shooting venomous glares at all of them as if they had done something terribly wrong.

"No." He sighed, "It won't do much now." He mumbled.

"Dad! I can see right through you. You need to eat before you melt away!"

He muttered something inaudible, but it didn't sound at all promising or like an agreement to eat. In, fact he shifted away from it.

"Don't you say things like that!" Colbourne hissed sourly, but refused to tell the group what his father had said. Jack looked at him, a bit surprised, as if he had forgotten his son's sonic hearing ability. Azura still pestered him.

"I haven't eaten in a year, Azura." He said, sighing, "I don't think I could choke it down even if I tried."

"You look younger than when we last saw you." Sarafina observed, breaking that awkward patch of ice for the first time that night. They could have made it back in a day, but Jack did not want to fly and was overall very weak and strained. It seemed if perhaps age was finally catching up with him. He had a look of strained pain twisting his facial features most of the time, and only when they sat did he look somewhat relieved.

"I do? Haven't seen a mirror in a bit." He said dryly, and Sarafina shrank away a bit.

"Everyone missed you, dad." Azura said, "I've been trying to take over your winter, but...well..."

"The other spirits would accept you. Of course." He said, as if it had been so clearly obvious and she simply couldn't have seen it.

"So what do I do about it, then?" Azura asked.

"Nothing. It's not your job." Jack said firmly.

"Well, hell dad. Maybe it is. Ever since you abandoned us!" Caulton suddenly fired at him savagely ,and for the first time Jack seemed taken aback, "You didn't even show up for mom's funeral. Nevada is convinced that if there were trophies for worst father of the century, you'd win hands down!"

"I..." Jack fished uncertainty, and looked at his son as if a lightbulb went on suddenly.

"We needed you the most dad. Heimdall took it really hard, and you weren't there. You've missed so much that...well...it's almost like you weren't there at all. You don't seem to care." Azura said a bit more tenderly.

"I've been underground, and-,"

"You could have checked up!" Sarafina said, fiddling with the strands on her dress, and wiped a tear away, "If you did you'd want to be there! You'd know the grandchildren that are five and six now and have to be explained that their grandfather isn't dead but that he left, and how my uncles and aunts and cousins are grasping for ways to try to make you not to be the bad guy but it's hard. Kids are...perceptive. Or you'd know that Fiona had a really bad cough and we all thought that she was going to die. Or you'd know that..." Sarafina broke off, looking down and sniffling.

"Know...what?" Jack asked, looking around. Everyone seemed to know what Sarafina had been about to say, because the four looked away with sorrow. There was a deep silence, the only sound the crackling of the fire, until Azura spoke.

"You would have known and come back when Gavner got sick..." She said wearily.

"Gavner's...sick?" Jack repeated, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"No, he's not," Caulton said with a wheeze and Jack let out a visible sigh of relief, but it was short lived, "He's dead."

The silence that followed was even larger and more horrible. The look on Jack's face was what he may have looked like after Elsa died, Sarafina thought. It was such a look of anguish and suffering, and when he looked down she could have sworn a tear turned to ice before it hit the snow beneath his feet.

"When?" Jack's voice was strangled and hollow.

"Six months ago." Colbourne whispered softly, "He just couldn't fight it. I don't know if I should tell you this, but perhaps you need to be hurt a bit. He kept asking where you were, and when you were going to visit him when he sort of went crazy. Heimdall just kept telling him you were on your way. He died believing you were coming to him. But you weren't."

Jack's fists clenched hard, and he turned away with shame. "Oh, Gavner." He said slowly, "Gav."

The fire was dwindling, and Azura took a blanket and wrapped it around her father's shoulders. Not that he got cold, but as an act of comfort. "Tomorrow you can see his grave. He's in the Royal Graveyard, as Uncle Gavner. You would have wanted that. Elsa would have wanted that." She said. Jack nodded numbly and lay down, and curled up in a ball, facing away from his family.

He knew they assumed him to be asleep, but he couldn't stop thinking. For once in a decade, Elsa was not on his mind. He felt like the most horrible person on the planet. Gavner was his best friend, the closet thing to a brother he could ever remember having.

Before he knew Gavner believed, he had always liked the sharp-witted and young voice of the man in the council meetings. Gavner had been twenty-five when he met Jack as such. They'd been thick as thieves for sixty-five years. All the memories swirled in his head; the beers slid across the table whenever Elsa was giving birth, the late nights tapping on each other's windows like teenage girls, the sage advice his friend always had, the night their two children ran off together and the amount the swore that would make sailors blush, and the comfort of him when Elsa had been slowly deteriorating. He had been there, knowingly, but without being obtrusive in Jack's previous worst days. And he'd left without ever saying goodbye, ever thanking him. And now, Gavner- the last person besides his children that had been keeping him alive- was dead.

As the night grew darker and the minds of the four who had found him drifted off into slumber, Jack was now even more convinced on what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALLKFJKLALKASDH NO GAVNER!
> 
> And what did Jack say that Col heard? You'll have to wait to find out!


	43. Chapter 43

At first, Jack worried he had forgotten the way. It was quite a long time ago that Elsa had brought him, Azura, and Colbourne here. He had to be close though- he had strategically stopped them where he thought he remembered being a passing point. If Gavner had still been alive, perhaps he wouldn't be doing this. But his best friend's death just made his mind all the more muddled.

He stumbled into the clearing with the look of a drunken man. All the stones jumped up at his approach, the feeling of magic. They stared at the thought to be lost king with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

"Pabbie." He growled in a low, dangerous voice, and all the trolls moved to make way for the eldest and wisest.

"Jack." Pabbie frowned, but with a sense of dread, "I had hoped you would not come."

"Then you already know." Jack said, firmly digging his staff into the ground.

"Vaguely," Pabbie said, and looked up with hope. He let out a disappointed sigh when the cover of clouds evaporated, letting a full moons shine like spilled milk over the clearing. Jack clenched his jaw, "Everyone, please, leave us." The trolls did not need to be told twice. They left with the sound of an earthquake, to wherever they went when they were sent away. The clearing looked empty and lonely without the hundreds of little moss-covered stones squished together.

"Jack. You look...well for your age." Pabbie started in a weak attempt at a joke. Jack's face was as cold and stony as Pabbie was made from.

"I want you to be a translator for the moon." Jack said firmly, sitting on a rock he was fairly sure was not a large troll.

"Jack, the Man in the Moon is a very temperamental spirit. I can't just-,"

"Bullshit. Pabbie, I've been alive for nearly two hundred years and this damn thing has never talked, never given advice, never helped me at all. He owes me this. If he really wanted me to leave, the clouds would be heavy tonight. I need answers." He demanded. Pabbie hesitated, then tilted his head. His yellow gemstones around his neck glowed.

"Okay." Pabbie murmured, "He's listening."

"Right." Jack said nodding, but hesitated. He hadn't expected to get this far. His whole plan was really quite hazy, and not well thought through. In all, he pretended like he has been expecting such the whole time, and nodded as if contemplating his first question.

"Why did Elsa die?" The question spilled from his mouth before he realized he had said it out loud.

Pabbie frowned. "Everything must die Jack." He said, "Except-,"

"Me? What kind of cruel fate is that, then? Making me fall in love? Making me mortal? Then making me suffer in this hell without her. What is the Man in the Moon hoping to accomplish?" Jack said, gripping his staff so hard that the whole ground beneath him cracked with ice sliding through the cracks in the ground.

Pabbie listened. "It was not fate." He said.

"What?" Jack frowned, "Elsa wasn't fate?"

"In fact," Pabbie continued with hesitance, "It was never in his plans for you to meet her. It was an accident, a distraction from your true fate. You were not meant to be a king, or have a family."

Jack swallowed roughly, "What?"

"The Moon isn't happy with what you've been up to for the last seventy years or so. Been neglecting winter duties, especially the last ten. Keeping you away from your true purpose."

"Oh he's not happy, is he?" Jack asked angrily, "Then pray tell. What is my 'purpose'?" Pabbie looked away.

"He won't say."

"Well, isn't that just like him!" Jack leapt up, and paced, "Well maybe I'm done with him. Him and his cryptic cold stares, him and his bipolar choices about my life."

"Bipolar?"

"Yes. I was mortal, and now I'm not. Well, nearly mortal." Jack said, and then he spun around, looking at Pabbie, "Tell him I'm done."

"You can't be done! He revived you!" Pabbie shook his head, "No, no."

"Fuck him." Jack threw up his hands, "I'm done. I want to die."

The words hung in the clearing, and there was a shocked rustling which indicated the rest were listening. Jack didn't care.

"You can't die." Pabbie narrowed his eyes.

"At one point, I could. I don't know how, but I want to." Jack said, "I want to be with Elsa. I had hoped she would reappear, but she didn't. I cant take it anymore. I'm tired of who I am, watching those I love grow old and die around me. I want to meet Elsa elsewhere, I want to be waiting for my children on the other side. I want this to end and for them to burry me next to her, close enough so that we're always together..." His throat began to constrict, and he could not see the shallow, hollow man he had become without her.

"This is exactly why the Man did not want you meeting Elsa. You've become attached." He accused.

"Are you really surprised? I love her. Are you suggesting the Man would rather me be lonely for as long as he deems I should exist?" Pabbie was silent.

"I must be close to death. Look at me- you can see right through me." Jack said, motioning to himself and his hands, which clearly showed the pebbly ground beneath him.

"Quite the opposite. In fact, you are closer to the spirit self than you ever have been. Your translucence is a sign of closer to wind and air than mortality. Don't you feel it calling you to your duty?" He asked, and Jack recalled that light-hearted bubbly feeling that had sprung up inside of him nearly a year ago. Jack felt something blooming of it again, but squashed it. His voice was hollow.

"Oh that? I suffocated it. I crushed it and murdered it. And I will continue doing that." He said savagely.

"Jack, if you don't do what he wants you'll-," He cut off and gave a hard frown.

"I'll die? It would be a relief. The Moon has nothing on me. He can't make me do anything. He hardly talks to me. Never once did he indicate his displeasure at my life with Elsa, so how was I supposed to know? I've outsmarted him." He gave a haughty and wild grin, and Pabbie saw Jack's mind slowly slipping, "If you won't show me how to end this, I will spend as long as I live searching."

There was more silence. Pabbie opened his mouth many times, as if to comment, but never quite could force the words out. He listened a long time, a deep frown creasing on his face. "Is death really your wish?" He asked softly, painfully.

"I will not live without Elsa any longer, nor be a pawn in a destiny that seems to not me mine." He said firmly. Pabbie motioned for Jack to kneel down to his level with a hand. Jack obliged, and tilted his head.

"I suppose for a king, your wish is my command."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Jack going to die? How can he die though? He's mortal? What will happen next? TUNE IN TOMORROW.
> 
> (Also, note THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE FANFICTION- I feel like I need this disclaimer whenever something like this ends a chapter XD)
> 
> The reference to Elsewhere is from this really good book I read by that name that's an after-death story, and it's so incredible and I still loving reading it from when I was like in 7th grade.


	44. Chapter 44

"Dad?" Azura was in a flurry to find his spot vacant and seemingly empty for quite some time.

"Shit." Colbourne rubbed his head, and adjusted his eye-patch, "I didn't think he was serious."

"What?" She spun on her brother.

"He was muttering about wanting to be left to die last night."

"Grandpa's immortal." Sarafina said with a frown.

"Gee thanks, Captain Obvious." Caulton shook his head.

"I think I know where he went. If you're magic, then you have to find a stronger magic to do things like such." Azura said, looking pointedly at Colbourne.

"Pabbie." Colbourne realized, and stood, "It's north."

"We must go quickly. Perhaps we can find him in time." Sarafina said, hurriedly rolling up her sleeping bag and throwing it on her back. Even though her travelers were older and a bit more stiff, they all moved with quick paced steps and worried hearts. They arrived just as the sun was at it's highest in the sky. The whole clearing was empty, sans a large stone which seemed to be curled in pain.

"Pabbie." Azura cried, throwing herself at the stone. Pabbie opened up slowly, with much lead in his movement.

"I don't hear him. No, Pabbie...awe, shit." Colbourne hung his head, covering his one exposed eye with his hand.

"Was Jack here?" Sarafina asked, her hands trembling.

"Aye, Princess." Pabbie sighed, "He was."

"You didn't, did you?" Cauton asked, his voice shaking hard, close to tears. Sarafina had never seen her uncle cry.

"Did I not do what?" Pabbie asked, as if hoping his family would not already know.

"Kill him." Colbourne chocked out, wiping his face.

Pabbie hung his head.

"Oh no." Azura stumbled back, hand over her mouth.

"Where is he, then?" Sarafina asked, standing and wiping her eyes, "He must be buried by Elsa."

Pabbie gave a half-smile, half-grimace. "Dear child. You will not find him here."

"How dare you." Azura's horror was replaced with rage, "He is ours to burry. He is our king. He is my father!" Pabbie's expression did not change. He motioned for the four to come forward.

"Sit, please. It is with a heavy heart I tell you such things." He said, and three sat. Colbourne refused, but stood with his ears tilted toward the troll.

"Jack came to me last night. You must understand once he was mortal, but he choose to save his child sister instead of himself one day on the ice, and drown. For his self-lessness and quick thinking to keep his sister unaware and feel safe, he was revived as a winter spirit. The Man in the Moon choose him. He has a destiny more than any of us could imagine, and you were all not originally in that equation." Sarafina gave a tiny squeak, and bit her lip hard.

"Nevertheless," Pabbie continued, "The Man in the Moon was displeased with his attachment, and rather unsure how to fix it. When Jack came asking death by me and answers from the moon, it was a means to an end. It is true, the Jack you love as your father and king is undeniably dead."

"Is there a different Jack?" Azura questioned.

"Quite so. The Jack before your mother. The Jack that was more like a child than anything else. The moon thought it would be best this way. Any memories of Elsa or his life as a king and a father are gone. As far as he knows, it's like being dead. He will continue on just like he never met Elsa, and for extra precaution I was instructed to make sure he never travels back here."

"Pabbie! How could you!" Sarafina cried.

"My hands were tied, my dear. A stronger force than all of us demanded it."

"Where is Jack, then?" Azura asked, pulling herself up and wrapping her arms around her shivering body. She looked at the horizon.

"Wherever the wind is. I cannot express how sorry I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think I could REALLY kill Jack Frost? And clearly TMITM is more clever than we thought...he also knows what he wants. King Jack Frost has died, leaving Spirit Jack Frost in it's wake. This is literally the plot bunny that began me writing this whole thing, is Jack getting his memories erased so that he can still be the cannon Jack Frost in ROTG.
> 
> It makes me sad, a bit, because I've really grown attached to these characters, which now are being left behind a bit, because, next chapter he's with the Guardians and all.


	45. Chapter 45

It was nearly ninety years of Jack's continued isolation, of which he did not know the sorrows he had faced, before the Man's destiny for the young spirit was put into action. True to Pabbie's words, he never entered Norway again. Once, while traveling though, he stopped off in Colorado and a little girl was waving him down with such ferocity. Something tinged inside of him.

It was an unhappy feeling, of course, and thusly he quickly exited, even though he realized perhaps it was one of the only children to see him in decades. He also realized later she had white hair.

The constant disappointment at the lack of belief in his spirit. Even children did not see his face. The other season spirits told him to not be so upset about it all; children did not see them either, but they existed in what the brought to the world. Jack reasoned that none of them had specific names and fables about them, and that shut up Autumn quickly. Only Mother Nature; sometimes spring and other times MIA, understood his pain. Ah, if only he knew there was a whole town of children and adults alike waiting for him back in Arendelle. Heimdall and Jack's other kin taught the city to believe in the unseen, and it soon became a popular spot for other previously invisible deities to wander by. They all understood to some extent the importance of Jack's influence on the town, but none could phantom how far it went. None would ever guess, unless they really examined the area, that it was Jack's son, and then grand-daughter, and then great-grandson sitting on the throne of the town.

Even so, Jack was free. His memories of before he was a spirit was once again satisfied to the thought that he was alive and childlike, and nothing else mattered.

He slowly began to recognize the other Children's spirits, and whispers of such an underground organization by the Man in the Moon called the Guardians came through his mind. He had seen North a bit before, but at the realization this burly man was who most children called 'Santa' (and somewhere in a repressed memory, he knew him too) he was quite surprised. The other members of the brigade met him on different occasions, usually not in the most agreeable of events, but nonetheless he shook their hands and was off in a flurry of snow.

The idea of a wife or a girl slowing him down never once crossed his mind. No, that wasn't quite right. Occasionally, he would look at a girl who was slightly older than his usual company (a young woman, almost still a teenager-about his age) and his heart would push up. It was silly, though, because usually there was a remembrance about these girls, that when he looked at them for more than a second, he found himself confused and unexpectedly crestfallen. In his nearly one hundred years, but not as he could know these years himself as it all was one span, he did note commonalities. Light hair, sometimes almost white- he associated this with the fascination of his own hair. They had wide blue eyes, heart-shaped face, and a confident walk. There was a part of him deep down in the chambers of his heart that no measure of memory concealment could erase. There was a part of him that still looked for Elsa.

One part of him, he decided, wanted to be a guardian. It was quite early in these 100 years he declared such a thing to himself, so the constant silence of a rejection of a group that he thought he deserved to be part of made him surly. And, as the years progressed, less children in each city waved to him from windows.

Needles to say when he was shoved into a sack, forced through a portal, and then fan fared without a single question he was quite...unhappy. Somewhere, over time, a side of him that was bitter and cold had developed and the induction did not go as planned.

Eventually, he came around. Those times could be retold, but it is unnecessary. Jack discovered his past, his family, and his center- which was the Moon's purpose for him all along. Finally, Jack felt like he belonged. For a bit.

There had been this gaping hole that appeared over his three-hundred or so years of being. The Guardianship, well, it helped. For a few brief years, he was under the impression that gaping hole was completely filled. He soon came to realize there was still a part of him unlocked and utterly empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes it's sad that he's empty but that means he's going to unlock happiness soon! I promise!


	46. Chapter 46

It was six years after Pitch's defeat, Jack was up in at North's place a day after Christmas. It was the one day North let himself relax, or so he'd been told. Usually, he was off making it snow heaps and heaps all over the world, but today he'd been called there with a friendly invitation.

Jack arrived as the day was dawning. Usually, he loved to go and visit Jamie or other children and watch their faces when they opened gifts. He always hoped there'd be a new sled or a warm hat, meaning the day was his to make snowy and merry. He waved to the Security Yeti and wiped his feet on a passing elf.

"Jack!" North was already settled down with a mug of warm hot-chocolate, sitting at a table. For once, the whole castle seemed to be calm. He had never seen the Yetis relaxing and playing cards, or the elves making so much trouble whilst unsupervised, "Sit down, boy!"

Jack did not sit normally, but perched on the back of the wooden chair. He sighed. "What's the occasion, North?" He asked, noticing that there were other chairs set out.

"Occasion? It has been long time since all the Guardians were together." He slid something across the table to Jack. The white-haired boy took a long swig, expecting hot-chocolate, but coughed immediately.

"North? Is this spiked?" He asked, wiping the back of his lips.

"Perhaps?" North winked.

"But I'm-I..." Jack sputtered, but realized that he had not reason on to enjoy this unexpected gift.

"I'm sure you've never had alcohol in your life!" A drawl came from behind Jack, "No wonder you can't even handle a teaspoon of it."

"Bunnymund." Jack greeted over the lid of his glass. Just to prove he could handle it, he took another drink and didn't gag. To be perfectly honest, his tastebuds were aching for something stronger, as if this was not the first time (Even thought he knew it was). It was simply he had not been expecting it the first time. Indeed, it was quite the delicious winter gift. North watched him drink it with approving eyes.

"You kid to much, Jack." North said, sipping his own, "Been a spirit three-hundred years and never had beer or wine? Life seems so much duller." He shook his head.

"Did you give him alcohol?" A surprised squeak came from behind him, "He's still considered a child!"

"Oh, calm yourself Tooth." Bunny rolled his eyes, "The kid's got to taste it sometime. Besides, I don't think he counts himself as a child. You don't." He said pointedly.

"Wait?" Jack asked, "Are you a child too?" He wondered at her. Of course, he knew from what she had told them all of the guardians were people first. And come to think of it, it was difficult to decipher an age under all the feathers. When he really looked at her, he could see a youthful glow.

She sighed, "I was eighteen when I died." She shrugged, as if she'd told it too many times already, "It's not a child- but it was young. Living so much longer, I think my old self as one." She fluttered in the air for a moment and sat with a thud, "Chocolate me." She demanded to North.

Sandy appeared a moment later, jiving and dancing his way into the room. He was too greeted with a delicious cup of coco.

There was general talk for a moment; how Christmas had gone, what was coming up for Easter, death threats at Jack and a pinky promise that he wouldn't have it snow on Easter (although he never promised anything about the days leading up to), the children of the world, Jamie, and so on. Finally, Tooth was the one to ask what Jack had first questioned.

"Is this really just about another get-together? Or did the moon talk to you?" She asked.

"If the moon had spoke, you would already know." North shrugged, "And what be harm in spending time with friends." Jack and Bunny gave a quiet half scoff, and looked at each other and scoffed again.

"Are you sure that no one special isn't coming?" Bunny asked with a sly grin. North grew red, a color on his face Jack had never seen.

"She wants to meet all of you." He admitted softly, "Well, Jack at the least. Reconnect with the rest."

"What? Who? Another girl?" Jack asked, frowning and looking at Santa. As if on cue, the Yetis grunted while escorting someone into the room.

The first thing Jack noted about her was she was a summer spirit, which is exactly why Jack did not know her in the least. Her hair was summer golden, with streaks of silver. Her face was old and wise, but yet still beautiful. She was a lithe little thing that seemed to drop sunlight where ever she stepped.

"Nicky!"

Jack held back a guffaw. He turned to Sandy. "Nicky?" He imitated under his breath. Sandy portrayed a a picture of two people kissing above his head. Once, Jack would have been disgusted, but today, he just felt lonely.

The other guardians were greeting her and laughing with her and North called Jack over. He approached slowly. The woman had her tiny arms wrapped around North's waist, and he was beaming from ear to ear.

"Valerie, Jack Frost." He introduced, "Jack, Valerie North."

The woman gripped his hand firmly, but softly. "Oh, we season spirits know all about Mr. Frost." She giggled, but she was grinning.

"I wish I could say the same about you, but uh...Summer is not really my domain." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'd be miffed if you did." She said. North swept her away and left Jack watching them dumbstruck.

"Valerie North..." He said in a moment of realization, and turned to Tooth, "Mrs. Claus?" He asked, for lack of a better question. Tooth gave a happy smile.

"Yes." She sighed, "Aren't they adorable? They can only see each other a couple times a year, though. Their busy times are opposite each other." She explained.

"Huh." Jack bit his cheek, "I didn't know...Guardians could..."

"Marry?" Tooth frowned, "It's a messy business. I mean, we are the children's and all. It's hard to have room to love still. Yet, North fell so deeply in love with her that he wanted to make it work. She's a very understanding woman. It think the moon is fine with it, as long as they don't have children. That would for sure take away from being a Guardian."

"Can we have children?" Jack scoffed at the idea, shaking his head. Tooth looked at him, and her frown deepened. She gave a forlorn sigh, as if thinking of a sad memory.

"Yes." Was all she replied, "It has happened. Only two times. All the others are more careful or never find a partner. The first time was eons ago, though."

"And the second?" Jack promoted after a moment of her silence. She opened her mouth, staring at him hard; which was making him feel highly uncomfortable; but was cut off as a high pitched squeal came from Valerie. North had her dancing with him, and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"They look...happy." Jack said, and a lump formed in his throat. He took another drink, and it burned on the way down. He pushed it aside and stood. Tooth started to stand too, but he shook his head.

"I just to need to clear my head," He assured, and forced a hard and raw laugh out, playing it off as nothing. Tooth seemed conflicted, but let him leave.

He found an alcove to sit on, swing his legs over the high precipice of the mountains. He realized what he was missing...a partner. It was the most profound emotion he'd ever felt, such longing and agony like she- who he did not know- was already gone. In all his years, who would have imaged the idea of a girl would reduce Jack Frost to tears? Yet they came unexpected in a storm, and Jack didn't understand the hollow feeling of deep yearning and lost affections as if he'd already died for them.

He closed his eyes and saw a face with no features he didn't recognize, but his frozen heart leapt for it all the same. Garbled words that seemed like something trapped inside of him that no matter how much he tried he could not unlock, and evanescent memories that trailed down his arm, ultimately out of touch and unclear.

He heard Tooth approach with her quiet buzz of wings. She stood behind him for a long while, and he didn't even care if she saw him cry. Soon, she sat next to him.

"I don't...understand..." He wheezed, "I feel as though I'm mourning someone I never knew, missing a girl I've never met. But I'm empty." He admitted. He was confused and scared at these emotions.

Tooth lay a delicate hand on his shoulder, and he shuddered. "Oh, Jack. I..." She said, and Jack saw sadness in her eyes as well.

"Why are you sad? Do you feel it too?" He asked, sniffling and attempting to regain some manliness.

"No. I weep for you." She said, and gave a timid smile, "Jack...I think there's something I need to show you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE! SEE! THAT LAST LINE SETS UP FOR A HAPPIER SOMETHING OR OTHER ALTHOUGH YOU ALL DON'T KNOW WHAT YET!


	47. Chapter 47

Tooth dismissed them from the party. Jack was still a mess and would rather be embarrassed for a lie than to have his comrades see him crying. Tooth put on her best angry face and said that he felt sickly because of the spiked hot-chocolate. Of course, Bunny launched into a brigade of jokes about Jack being unable to handle his drinks, but nonetheless the two were off the hook. Jack didn't even care.

"Are we going to your place?" He asked half-way through flying, "What could you possibly be showing me at your palace?" He asked. Tooth looked back, but shook her head.

"You'll see!" She cried against the wind.

Tooth was almost too shy when she landed, checking behind her constantly as if she expected Jack to fly away.

"Whose teeth are we looking at now?" He asked, attempting to get an answer from her. She just dropped back by him, tugging his sleeve. She brought him to the stairs, and he knew what was beneath the main area. The teeth of the children that had passed. Tooth was sentimental and liked keeping them all, and had a grand underground system for all the children that grew up and didn't need their memories anymore. Jack had only heard her speak of it.

"Follow me." She said, and hovered downward. Jack summoned his winds and dropped down unsteadily. There were little symbols for each country of each place. He was drawn toward Burgess, of course, as that's where he was born, but that was not where Tooth was headed.

"Tooth, you're scaring me." He said. Tooth gave a lighthearted grin, but he could tell it was pained.

"I suppose one of the best and worst parts of being me is knowing the memories of the children personally." She said with a long sigh. She paused in front of a door. Jack looked up and gave a low whistle. It was the Royalty door. It pushed open with no resistance and Jack was overcome with a sense of belonging. He read the long names of all the past dignitary children and heirs, and wondered in the millions of teeth boxes what he was doing there.

Tooth had fluttered away, and he realized he should probably follow her, but become easily distracted. He was too engrossed in reading names. At the last moment before he was about to revert his attention to the lady who had brought him here, a last name caught his eye. Frost.

These spaces were arranged in family trees of royalty, and he saw with a glance to the very top of the space it was for Norway, and his finger followed the name up the lines that sprawled like spiderwebs. "Cosette Frost, Eland Frost, Randall Frost, Constantine Frost..." He murmured the names, and wondered idly if it was sheer coincidence. Then he shook his head. It had to be. It's not like Frost was an overly original last name.

Still, his fingers trailed the boxes up. He reached a bump in the road where one of the boxes was missing. Connected by marriage to the space one was supposed to go was a picture of a little girl with white hair and deep blue eyes. "Elsa..." he read the glittery name, "Hey Tooth!" He said turning, "I don't mean to worry you, but there's a box missing!"

"I know." She whispered. He jolted and realized she was hovering above her, a box in her hands. She fiddled with it, "I have it."

She floated all the way down to the floor, and Jack, rapt with curiosity, followed. She sighed, "There's magic in your bones. More than the Guardian and the Moon. I suppose I should have realized you wouldn't..." She frowned.

"Tooth, please. You're not speaking in clear sentences." He rolled his eyes, and his attention was grabbed by something shiny on the others side of the room. Tooth grabbed his shoulder, pulling his eyes back toward hers. She was holding out the box to him. He gave her a funny look, but she was silent. Deciding to humor her, he took the box.

"Let's see who this guy is..." His voice dropped off with a dry gulp, "That's...me?"

The face on the box looked exactly as his human portrait on the first tooth box did, but it was the him that he'd been for much longer. It was the him with snowy white hair, electric blue eyes. Even more unnerving was a crown that floated above his head, a clear indicator of royalty. If that wasn't weird enough, his eyes flickered to the name.

'King Jack Frost of Arendelle'.


	48. Chapter 48

"I don't...understand..." Jack sputtered, holding the box far away from him.

"I don't often make boxes for adult teeth, but I knew this had to be an exception." She gave a smile, "Go a head."

"You know what's in here...don't you?" He asked in a half-accusation. She shrugged.

"Yes. Perhaps I feel sorry for your story more than most. I'm not supposed to have these, but...I knew that you'd want to know one day. Even if you don't realize it."

Jack stared at her for a long time, and then finally looked at the box. He was Jack Frost...and he was fearless. Telling himself so, he pressed his thumbs against the box and light exploded.

These memories came flying back at him with so much more than the first time, just because there was so many of them.

"You're not my queen..."

"Daddy!"

"...Too much awesome to fit into one child..."

"Have a beer, Jack. This may take awhile..."

"Anna doesn't believe!"

"Whose the girl?"

"Nevada...please...I'm here..."

"They're called 'wisdom teeth', Jack."

"I loved her more than life!"

"I want to die."

The memories kept spilling out, one after another. It seemed as though he lived through a hundred years in this small box of memories. Lightbulbs went off in his head at such a rate he felt as though they were exploding and creating fireworks in his mind as boxes that had been closed and padlocked for a long time were thrown open with no time to register the contents.

In the wake of what may have been hours, or just moments, Jack was feeling quite different than the first time. This time, he was speechless and felt cold all over. His body was numb like a chilly frost had stopped all the blood from moving, and he half didn't want to believe any of it.

"I'm the second guardian...to..." He whispered hoarsely to Tooth. She was watching him intently with worry. He looked down at the box, and still felt the wisps of memories rise up to greet him. In the box were two teeth...wisdom teeth, "But I never..." He began but a last memory whooshed up to greet him.

"Dad! Can I have your teeth?" Jack found himself in the bedroom of a palace, laying on top of the blankets with a warm arm wrapped around his shoulders. In the doorway was a little girl, with wintery snowy hair and a arm wrapped around her stomach.

"You don't want these, Vienna." Jack laughed, shaking his head, "They're disgusting and full of blood and bad memories for dad. Ugg, that man I swear had no idea what he was doing! Wisdom teeth...I never..."

"Why do you want them?" The queen asked, and Jack felt himself looking at her instead of the memory.

"Tooth fairy." Vienna said, rocking on her heels.

Elsa laughed, "Honey, aren't you a little old to believe in such silly things?" Vienna frowned.

"I believe in Daddy." She argued.

"Dad is different, sweetie." Elsa sighed.

"C'mon now, honey. I've seen the tooth fairy before." Jack said, reaching for the bedside table.

"Jack, don't encourage her. She's twelve!"

Jack ignored his wife and handed his daughter his wisdom teeth. She ran from the room gleefully and Jack shrugged. "Look, they'll still be there tomorrow. Then she'll realize."

Elsa gave a long sigh. "I suppose so. I think you're just getting her hopes up though."

Jack gasped up from the memory. "But you collected them."

"Yes." Tooth admitted, "I always loved your story with her...it was so sweet, so doomed to end horribly...I was there often...I mean, twenty-one kids from the first generation, even more from the second, it was quite the popular place for kids loosing teeth. It's technically against the rules to collect adult teeth...but you're a spirit...so I made an exception."

"I had a wife." Jack said dully, trying to wrap his brain around it all, "I had more than the family I thought I had. Tooth, I had children. And Odin," He laughed as the old expletive found it's way from his lips, "I loved them. I still do." He added after a hard thought.

Then he became crestfallen. "It's been so many years...and now they're all dead." He collapsed against a pillar, sliding down to a sitting position, "What...have I done?"

Then, an anger flooded him. "What has HE done?" He asked, leaping up and pacing. His eyes turned to the moon, and he swore violently. Tooth seemed to shudder at his language, but watched him still, "Of course they must think I was the worst father of the year. I wanted to die with Elsa, not live on like this!" He began to pace, "They think I abandoned them when I wanted the opposite. I wanted to be a normal father and be waiting for them on the other side..."

"The Moon needed you now, to save the world Jack. You were always meant to be a Guardian-," Tooth began to sooth, and Jack jerked away.

"Elsa is my world." He said in a low voice.

"Do you regret being a Guardian now?" She asked with a slightly miffed tone. Jack paused.

"No...but..." He turned and leaned his forehead against the pillar, "I left them all...those were the most important children...my kin."

"You left your sister."

"I saved my sister." Jack corrected, "I miss her, but...I just straight up left them." He spun, "Was Heimdall a good king? And Sarafina after him? How about their children? Were they really angry?" Tooth looked overwhelmed at the questions that spilled from his mouth.

"I don't know Jack. If I did, I don't know If I would tell you. I regret showing you these now, because of how it made you feel." She winced.

The bare reality of it all settled down like the heaviest of sands sinking to the abyss of an ocean. Jack felt a lack of energy, just sadness. It was a better sadness than before, because at least he knew that once...he had a love, he had all those things he envied North for. But it was still nearly worse, because he left it all. Because he was tricked.

"Jack..." Tooth whispered softly, "I shouldn't have-,"

"I want to know this all. Even if it hurts." Jack said, shaking his head, "I just feel so conflicted..."

"You are a Guardian. It's for life." Tooth said, as if reminding him. Jack bit his lip.

"It doesn't matter now, I suppose. They're all dead anyway. Perhaps if I had just stayed there, content with my immortality..."

Tooth winced, "Jack, it would have happened anyway. The Man is...well, he has plans that must be enacted and such. This is why not many of us fall in love. North handle it best, but that's still so much to sacrifice. How can you love all the children of the world equally if you love a few more? How is that fair?"

"I feel I may love Jamie more." Jack rebutted, with a fond smile.

"That is different. No one ever forgets the first child to see them..." Tooth gave a low giggle, as if caught up in her own memories.

"But he wasn't." Jack shook his head, "Elsa. If not Elsa, my children. They always saw me...except Nevada...Odin, we never made up." Jack crunched over, as if pained. He stood, and shook off his hoodie, "Thank you. But now I really need to think about this for awhile." He said. Tooth made a movement to follow, "Alone."

"Don't disappear for a long time. You can't ignore your job for ten years, Jack!" She warned, but Jack didn't listen. He didn't intend to be that far detached anyway. Not when there was even more meaning in his life. His heart drummed a steady beat-

Elsa, Elsa, Elsa forever...


	49. Chapter 49

He tapped twice on Jamie's window, and then seeing that he was alone in his room, entered immediately. Now that he had his memories, he chuckled as he compared this to how he used to be with Gavner. It was sort of like his friendship; Jamie had passed the point of being a child with him, now he was almost seventeen and had become a friend.

"Jamie. I need to borrow some clothes." He said without waiting for a greeting. Jamie spun around in his wheel chair and frowned.

"Clothes?" He repeated in confusion, "I don't know if mine will fit you anyway- you're so skinny and gangly." He dismissed.

"I don't care. I just need something. Give me an oversized shirt or something." Jack said hurriedly. Jamie gave him an odd look, but got up and went to his closet. Jack stuck his hands in his pants pockets and wandered over to where he was working on homework.

"Geeze, buddy. Day after Christmas and already back to the books?" He chuckled, "That's no fun."

"IB isn't fun." Jamie grumbled, "But I have my Extended Essay due soon."

"That sounds painful." Jack winced.

"It is. Guess what it's on?" Jamie called with a chuckle from where he was digging underneath a mountain of dirty socks and unwashed shirts, "Common holiday mythical creatures in Literature."

"You're joking." Jack laughed, lounging on his bed, "Is yours truly in it?" He asked.

"You're the first part!" Jamie said and returned with a couple articles of clothing bunched under his arms, "Well, these jeans may fit- they were my cousins and he had obnoxiously long legs. Or I have these sweatpants. Here's an old tee-shirt that's big on me, or an old zipper-up." He said, throwing them at Jack's feet.

He watched Jack undress quickly. "Dude, what's going on?" He asked, frowning.

"I just found out I'm a father." Jack said, the first thing that came to mind. Jamie's eyebrows shot way up.

"Wait, what?" He sputtered, "Hold up...hold up. Is it Tooth's?" He asked.

"What?" It was Jack's turn to shudder back, "No!"

"You two just seem...never mind." He shook his head, "Then who?"

"She's dead." Jack said, tugging the pants over his legs and tripping over due to lack of balance.

"Uh...ew?"

"Well, not like that. Ugg...One moment." He buttoned the jeans and shook out his legs and sat with his shirt off on the bed while he explained to Jaime.

"About...one-hundred something years ago, I met a girl and well, I guess we fell in love. She was a Queen and I became a had thirteen kids together, and well...I was happy. But then she died...and I was still immortal. I kinda won the worst father of the year award to say the least, and eventually I got angry and I asked for some trolls to kill me. But the Man in the moon tricked me and erased my memories, because I needed to 'save the world'. But Tooth restored them because I had had my wisdom teeth removed during my time as king." He said in one large breath. Jamie looked at him with wide eyes.

"Have you been smoking something?" He asked and Jack stood angrily.

"I'm serious! This is my family!" He said sourly, and Jamie laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That last comment was a joke. You have to admit it sounds a little ridiculous." He reasoned.

"I know...It does. But...I..." He shook his head and ran his fingers through his white hair, "I thought I was so alone. But I have a family...somewhere." He breathed.

"You're going to find them, aren't you?" Jamie realized, "Can I come with?"

"No way. It's not close, dude." Jack shook his head, "I need you to watch these clothes though." He nudged his brown and blue pile of fabric with his toes, "I guess I need damn shoes too."

"Look, look. There's still some winter break left. I'll tell mom that me and Cupcake and Monty are going down to Pittsburg or something." He said.

"It's a little farther. I guess I'm from Norway." Jack said with a shrug. Jamie stopped.

"Okay. So that's farther than I thought. But I can still come. Two guys, c'mon. What's to loose." He said.

"No, Jamie." Jack said firmly, slipping on an ugly pair of crocs (The only thing that fit), "I just got my whole world flipped on me in a matter of minuets. I need to do this alone." The tone of his voice paused Jamie completely, who sat back on his bed dejectedly.

"I understand." He sighed sadly, "I want to go, but hell- I can't even imagine what it's like to be you right now. You may need some money too. And a really good hat."

"A hat?" Jack echoed, touching his hair, "Why?"

"Well...you're trying to fit in, right?" He asked shrugging, "I think the hair is a dead giveaway."

"If my genes have prevailed, there's going to be people my age with white hair. Eight of my children did." Jamie laughed.

"I can't imagine you as a dad, Jack."

"I couldn't either if I didn't have these memories." Jack tapped his head, "There's some family I think in Colorado too. Maybe I'll come back and bring you there." He said as a little consolation prize. Jamie brightened. Jack checked over everything, feeling like he looked ridiculous but all the same content and ready to go.

He went to the window. "Was she beautiful?" Jamie asked from behind him. Jack held onto the window frame hard, and took a hard breath.

"Elsa?" He whispered, "Oh, Jamie. She was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen."

"I wish I could have met the woman who contained Jack Frost. That's something I didn't think possible." He chuckled.

"I wish you could too." Jack said, grasping his staff, "I wish I could see her again." He didn't spend much longer lingering on Jamie's window sill, but pushed off and up high above the clouds. A little warm fire stirred in the pit of his heart. He felt like he was coming home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, character note on Jamie: I've read a couple fanfictions where he's like this gangly quiet secret romantic poetry reading english loving kid when he grows up. Now don't get me wrong, I'm that type of girl, but I don't think that's Jamie to me. Also, I wanted to be original. I imagine him to be very intelligent (why he's in IB, clearly) and also best at science and math. You'll find more about that later. I'm probably going to upload what he looks like now, because I think he had a Neville Longbottom or Hiccup and really grew up ;)


	50. Chapter 50

It took much longer to reach Norway than he remembered. He reached the outskirts just as the sun was brimming over the horizon. Something pulled inside of him- a warning that he'd always listened to. He couldn't explain why Norway had been a passover place, even though it was full of snow and ice and his myth had been created there. It was just a place where he just kinda...flew over. Didn't do much, sort of like the Caribbean (Because he knew the summer spirits would have his hide dare he make it snow there). Once, when he felt uneasy about it, he went and talked with the lesser snow spirits who rigidly told him they were already taking care of Norway. He wondered in the Man made them say that?

As soon as he let his feet touch the snowy mountain side, there were sharp arrows that riddled his heart. He looked up, and saw the mountains were he'd met Elsa. He wondered if their house was still there?

Well; only one way to find out. Up through the clouds to the highest peak of the mountain Jack went. It had been nearly 100 years and the place was still standing. Cautiously, he opened the door. A handle broke off in his palm and he re-glued it with a long sigh. The place still looked so beautiful, but there was a broken-ness to it. It had been a long time since anyone had been here.

Yet the chandelier they had rebuilt was still intact, still beautiful and swayed as he let a breeze in. He walked to the terrace room where they had first met, and still had to wonder how he could have had such an enormous amount of luck to stumble upon this place the very day she had it, and for it not to be fate? Without him, would the queen have found the best king for her? Would her wonderful magic have been all but extinguished? Perhaps, he mused, the Man wasn't the only one pushing around with fate. Perhaps there was an even larger something out there that pulled him with Elsa. He liked to think so.

Although beautiful, this was not why he had come to Norway. After checking around and seeing everything wonderfully undamaged, he left, with the intention to perhaps make another home here. Even though he'd been born in Burgess, soon Jamie would be growing up and going to college. Everyone else had their lairs- North's workshop, Sandy's Island, Bunny's warren, and Tooth's Keep- but he had yet to acquire one. This seemed perfect.

The town of Arendelle was larger than he recalled, and so very much different. Just for safety, he stowed his staff away under some snow and ice with a tree covering the location, and winced as he put the crocs on. Maybe he looked like a lunatic, but he would be more stared at if he went around with no shoes in the middle of winter. Normal people didn't do that.

He the city in a little alley, and for a bit, was afraid to go outside. What if people could see him? What if the couldn't? Holding his breath tight, he went out, blinking into the light.

"Careful kid!" Was the first thing he heard, as a bike nearly plowed him over. He frowned, but then smiled. Someone could see him. And they didn't know who he was! He could return to his home without any distractions or hasty explanations on his disappearance.

He wandered idly down the streets, marveling at how much a little town could change.

Someone looked at him funny, and he pulled his hood up out of instinct. They kept staring. He never realized being noticed could be so...horrible feeling. So intrusive and judging. Odin, was this what normal people had to deal with? Creeps with inquisitive stares?

He found himself lost within a few short minuets. The city had escalated and expanded more than he imagined, and while he had thought he knew exactly where he was, he found out that the left turn- or was it the right?- was very, very wrong. These were newer homes, he could tell as much. They just didn't have the same feel as the ones that he had seen people happily living in. Everything was just so different it was overwhelming.

He kicked a piece of ice and it skittered across the pavemented street, breaking like glass on a lamp pole. Maybe it was a mistake coming back here after all this time. Yet, he felt a growing need to reconnect with his family. What was left of it, anyway. The only place he knew to start was if he could only find his way back to the castle. It was huge and hard to miss, but every turn toward it just seemed to spit him into a back alley in who knows where.

It took him a whole day to realize that he was just running in circles. Once, he'd stopped for dinner, but his pride wouldn't let him ask how to get to the castle. For Loki sake- he'd lived here! He had reigned here! To admit he had no idea where he was and risk flying to get his way out of this maze would be horrendous and it was therefore out of the question entirely.

He knew he was by the water, for sure, because of the way the cold air blew off the wharf. To anyone else, it may have been too bitter cold. But for him, it gave him a sense of security.

He fell back out of the little diner around dusk. It wasn't dark enough for the lights to turn on yet, but just dark enough so that everyone retreated back into their houses. It was only five or six, he reckoned, still plenty of the day to enjoy. Or night, for that matter. Yet, even so, soon it seemed that he was the only vagabond on the old streets mixed with the new.

Sighing dejectedly, and reasoning that when it was dark he'd fly up and find the castle in a jiffy, he leaned against a restored building. He heard a dog begin to bark in a house across the way from him, followed by another deeper bark, and the irritating yapping of a small dog. He frowned; he always had an intense urge to punt small yappy dogs. He couldn't imagine why anyone would have one of those rats.

A girl, couldn't be more than his age, walked down the street. She only had a light fleece on even in the cold, and had the hood up. He rolled his eyes when he saw what she was wearing- kids these days! Purple jeans that, really could you call them that? How tight they were? And a light blue and white tank top with a little bit of purple on it. She had two paper bags filled to the brim with groceries, and he saw her stop at the house where the dogs had begun to fill the night air with the barking. He spied a patch of ice underneath her foot, but for a moment did nothing.

Then he saw trouble, even before it happened. She shifted her arm to reach for a door key, and very carefully put it into the lock and before she had opened the door more than a smidgen, a cat had slipped out between her feet and everything just went downward from there. Quite literally; first her food, then the keys clattered down steps with staccato pings, and finally she would have been next- had Jack not been a good person that didn't know what he was doing until he caught her flailing arms. She breathed deeply for a moment, and then looked at her groceries.

"Fudge!" She hissed at the broken eggs and squished lettuce, then saw the tabby cat running, "No! Argh! Svenja! Not again!" She gave Jack a look and then left her groceries and went tearing down the street after a little cat. Jack frowned, and began putting her food back into the bags, feeling sorry for her. Well, right away he made sure to melt that patch of ice- that could have been very dangerous. He was about to take his leave, feeling unwelcome and a little awkward, when the girl reappeared, a frantic tabby in her arms as it tried to escape again.

"I-," She began, but saw Jack holding the two bags and sighed, frowning. From beneath her hood, he saw wisps of light hair. Not white, but light, "Do you mind bringing those in? I shouldn't ask more than that, but...I..." She motioned to the still struggling cat who, if not for a jacket, would be ripping apart her arms.

"Sure," Jack shrugged, and kicked the door open with his foot. The girl went first, and Jack followed. It was a nicely done home, seemingly there were moderately well off, with a couple heirlooms that he couldn't see clearly in locked cabinets. She flicked a light or two on with a spare finger, before firmly shutting the cat in a bathroom with a roll of her eyes.

"That cat is mental, I swear." She huffed to herself, and then turned, remembering Jack there, "Oh. Here. I can take those."

She took them to a counter top where she began unloading them. She flipped off her hood and shook her hair out of a half-bun. Jack stared at her, trying to remember where he'd seen her. She looked up, and he saw nearly purple eyes underneath heavily done lids of eyeshadow.

"What?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Huh?" Jack echoed, but then realized he was staring, "Nothing." He adverted his gaze, "Never mind. I...uh...should be going. You okay? Not hurt or anything from the fall?" The girl's eyes widened.

"Me? I'm totally fine. I could have had a nasty spill, that damn ice. That damn cat." She gave a look over her shoulder to where the cat was mewing pitifully, but then a sort of smile appeared, "I just had to rescue the problem cat from the shelter." She shook her head.

"I should...go..." Jack edged his way out, and she frowned.

"You look cold, stick thin, and really...did you pick those clothes out blind?" She asked, frowning, "Eat dinner with me. My mom is working late and my brother won't be home until later...I don't like eating alone."

Jack considered it...for a moment. He felt like an old pervert, even though the seemed the same age, and then thought of Elsa and decided against it. He went to the door and shook his head slowly. "To invite a stranger in? I may seem trustworthy but...but...you never know!" He said grasping for a reason to leave. The girl titled her head, and a smirk appeared, "Stop smiling! I'm serious!" Jack huffed.

"But you're not stranger...are you Jack?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO IS THIS GIRL I WONDER HMMMMM?!
> 
> I think a lot of you know XD
> 
> And see what I did there with her cat? Svenja...Sven...geddit, geddit? Teehee.
> 
> Also, a few people have expressed interest or well-wishes on me becoming a published original author one day. I do have stuff on the sister site of this- Fictionpress- although there's not a lot of traffic to my stuff. Meh. Anyway, my name on that site is FrostedGemstones and I'm going to be trying to update some newer stuff on there. Lots of old pomes and a few stories at the moment. If you feel like it, drop by read and give a few reviews, if you're interested.


	51. Chapter 51

Jack's head spun around so fast he felt that there was some whiplash.

"W...h...a...t?" He stretched the word out, staring at her hard, "Okay, fine. So you know who I am. Big deal. Maybe I'm a bad winter spirit." He wiggled his fingers.

"Oh, really?" She scoffed as if the idea was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard, "Jack Frost in this town is a hero." She bit her lip, and suddenly looked shy. She rocked on her soles, and looked anywhere at him, "And...well, I never knew my grandparents...they died...young...but maybe...It'd be nice to get to know...okay, please don't freak out...my great, great, great-grandfather?"

The way she winced before there was any response from Jack pretty much told him she was expecting him to flip out. But he didn't...because wasn't this what he was here to find? Family? Perhaps the hug went a little to far, because when he let her go, she looked absolutely frozen on the stop.

"Ah-ha!" Jack clapped his hands, "Anna! You look a bit like Anna! Duh."

"Wait?" She breathed, "Is that all it's going to take for you to believe me?" She sounded shocked. Jack blinked, realizing his error, and then became tense.

"Do I have a reason not to? Are you lying to me?" He asked, barring his teeth.

"Well, no.."

"Then never-mind. You seem like a very trustworthy girl..." He trailed off, realizing they had never properly introduced themselves.

"Lila. Lila Frost." She supplied. Jack grinned.

"What a beautiful name, Lila."

"Are you joining me for dinner, then?" Lila asked hopefully.

"Yes...I think I'll stay." Jack said nodding and closing the door, "What are you making?"

"Oh, something simple. Probably just Mac and Cheese." She laughed, turning red, "It's not fancy but I wasn't expecting anyone."

"Mac and Cheese?" He asked, frowning, "What's that?"

"Well...it's noodles...and cheese." She shrugged, "Simple. It's really good."

"I think I'll have to try this Cheesy Mac to decide myself." Jack said with an air of royalty, and he realized it was a tone that he had not used in quite some time. Lila giggled beneath her hand, and her eyes sparkled.

"Okay, Jack...is it alright if I just call you that? Or should I call you Gramps?"

Jack winced, looking at his seeming age, "Jack is fine."

It seemed there would not be enough questions to fill the time that they had to eat together. Jack had 100 years worth of things to be filled in on. She was quite ready and willing to answer his questions.

"Are you the most direct line?" He asked first. She smiled a bit.

"Yes. My mom was the daughter of the last king, who was the son of Sarafina, who was the daughter of Heimdall, and of course he was your son."

"But you don't live in the castle. Your'e not an heir. Did you get thrown out?"

"No." Lila shrugged, "Times change. We don't have kings and queens anymore. Not since we formally merged with Norway. We have a representative, and my family members often get voted on. My mom is the head of the committee actually, that's where she is now."

"I miss the castle. It was awesome to live in." Jack sighed.

"Well it's still open now. As a museum."

"Oh." Jack frowned. That wasn't what he thought it was going to be like. Lila explained the brief history of the merging with Norway, and how it wasn't exactly by choice and how her grandfather died of the loss of the throne soon after. Her grandmother died of cancer. She served two bowls of mushy orange stuff, and Jack looked at it curiously.

"Dig in." She raised an eyebrow, "Are you afraid?" She asked, settling into her own. Jack picked up a fork, and thought of how long it had been since he'd eaten. Quite literally decades. The first bite back into food was nothing like he expected. It was warm, creamy, and a little different than anything he'd ever had. Lila was looking at him expectantly.

"It's okay," He said and placed a hand on the table. He looked at her hair- platinum blonde, and he had to ask, "Can you...you know?" He asked, nodding toward his hand where he made little frost patters dance across the wood. Lila's eyes widened and she nodded slowly. But then, she lowered her voice.

"Yes. I can. So can my mom- we kept her maiden name, and her dad, and my brother, and I hope when my new sibling is born, they can too. I like to make frost animals." She said with a knowing grin, and stood up and created a little mouse out of snow not unlike the rabbit Jack had made to make Jamie believe in the easter bunny, "That's just a small one. I've made elephants before!"

"But your hair is not white. I thought for sure that that was the indicator. Has it changed?" He asked. Suddenly, Lila looked shy.

"My hair's white." She mumbled.

"No, it's clearly blonde." He argued. Lila gave a long sigh and got right up in Jack's face.

"See the roots- pure as snow. But I dye it. You know, color it." It was all very strange to Jack, this idea of 'killing hair to make it color', but one thing struck him the most.

"Why are you hiding it? Are you not proud of your white hair? Of your powers?" He became more offended as the accusation went on.

"I love my powers!" She rushed to pacify, "But...well, it's not something you do in public. True, we're a city of believers- or we were. On our own, the magic was let loose all around town. But when we merged people came in that would have never believed us. It's a social suicide to 'believe' you have 'stilly ice superpowers' these days." She gave a hard smile, "But you're right. The white hair is the indicator."

"How many of you are left?" He asked, his mouth feeling dry, "When I had kids we seemed to be overpopulating this city with frost magic. Did they run you all out?" He asked frantically.

"I'm not sure how many are left. It seems to be a dominant trait- I think- but most kids cover it up with dye pretty well, or learn to control with underground masters. I know for sure all of my cousins except three have the power, and well...you can sort of tell those that are trying to hide it, but we'd never say anything to each other."

She thought for a moment while Jack soaked it in, "Ew. I guess that means anyone with the white hair or power is related to me." She surmised and shuddered, "Guess I should find another guy other than Luke to ask to Sadies..." She mused out loud. Then she looked pained.

"The truth is, it's not normal. It's...a child's tale. Most people here, they believe in you, but they don't know why and they can see you, but if you were to introduce yourself, no one would think it really was you. The belief was almost breed into the people of this town, but very few talk commonly about you as a king anymore. Elsa's reign? She's in all the textbooks, every school, she's famous!" Lila said with a wide smile, "And I am so grateful that I am of her blood."

The door clicked open, and the dogs began to bark angrily again, and Lila jolted up.

"Mum's home." She said. Jack realized she'd never said anything about her father, and Lila seemed to pick up on his questioning eyes, "Dad travels a lot, he's not home often. I'm used to it." She assured with a confident shrug.

She grabbed the two empty bowls and went to the kitchen. Her mother came into the room, a coat swung over her arms, and a little boy holding her left hand. She was jingling keys and a stack of papers.

"Lila, it's fine to have people over, but please ask me first." Lila's mother said with an exasperated sigh. Jack would have stood up and called her 'Mrs. Frost' but then felt weird. Elsa was his one and only Mrs. Frost. It wasn't right to call her that. Was she even a 'Mrs.'? Was she a 'Ms.' Lila leaned across and whispered,

"You can call her Dr. Ingrid- that's her first name." She said, noting Jack's discomfort.

"A new friend?" Her mother raised her eyebrows. Jack turned to see the girl's mother, whose hair was as white as his own. This made him feel happy. She looked old enough to have naturally white hair, perhaps, but he could tell it was not such.

"Dr. Ingrid." He greeted, unsure if she recognized him. The papers fell with a whoosh to the floor and so did her jacket. The boy, who looked to be about five or six years old, frowned.

"You look the guy on our mantle." He commented.

"Lila?" Her mother murmured.

"Mom...meet Jack. Our ancestor Jack." She confirmed, "He just sorta..showed up here and well, it was all such an accidental meeting." She blushed.

"You've come home..." The woman whispered, and bent down to pick up her papers, "I'm sorry. Terribly unprofessional, and all, but it's such a shock that you're here...sitting...in my house- LILA? Did you feed the poor boy? He looks thin as a stick! And so pale!" She began to mother him, which was once again the oddest feeling in the world. She was much younger than he was, in a roundabout sense.

"I'm fine, Ingrid." He said, naturally using a first name with the knowledge this was his great-great-grandchild. Elsa would flip if she knew. She often talked about the future of them, of their children. What their legacy would be. Ingrid looked and seemed very much like his wife- no nonsense, a little uptight, but very regal and very mature.

"Can I...hug you?" Ingrid asked, tears prickling in her eyes. He nodded soundlessly and was engulfed with the warmth of family, no matter how distant it was. Then she motioned for the little boy to come forward. His hair was almost a natural platinum blond, as far as he could see, but he was painfully shy.

"Tyr, come here." She said lovingly. Tyr came forward, hiding at his mother's leg, "This is a...family member. He's come a long way to see us. Can you say 'hi' to Jack?" She asked.

"No." Tyr said. Jack felt a paternal instinct wash over him, and bent down.

"Hi, Tyr." He whispered softly, "I'm Jack. How old are you?"

The boy held up a hand, and whispered, "Five. You look like the Jack we have pictures of." He said.

"Just a coincidence." Why confuse the young one any more than he had to? "Can you show me ice magic?"

"I'm not supposed to show people that." He said looking at his mother. She smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Dear, I think it's alright." She assured and he held out a hand and turned it downward, and the wood floor was suddenly hit with a miniature snowstorm. Jack's eyes were wide.

"Magical!" He said, "He's powerful, Ingrid. When did he start showing signs?"

"He was two." Ingrid said, patting her son's head. Jack nodded, deep in thought.

"Heimdall was two when he got his, and erm, Xanthe as well, and I'm pretty sure that Sarafina was a little less than two..." He said, and wondered if they even knew who Xanthe was!

"Are you staying here long?" Ingrid sat at the kitchen table, after giving Tyr some apple slices, with Lila standing behind her with hope in her eyes.

"I...uh...hadn't much thought of it. I want to see the castle, for sure, but I can't stay longer than a couple days."

"At least stay until tomorrow! The castles not open now, anyway." Lila pleaded.

"I may as well. I mean, I'll head back up to the ice-castle and meet you back here-," He began but Ingrid slammed her fist down.

"Absolutely not. You can have the guest room. You're family Jack, why would ever imagine staying anywhere else?" She asked. Jack didn't know how to reply.

Tyr went to bed not soon after, but Ingrid and Lila kept him up with the large photo books of the family tree, all his children and grand-children and great-grandchildren in photos galore.

"Is Olaf still around?" He asked. Ingrid winced.

"I wouldn't know. He's more of a myth, a talking snowman, I suppose. I know that Xanthe kept him alive after Elsa's death- or so it said- but when she left for Rome after her parents died, she may have taken him with. I don't know." She apologized.

"Oh." Jack felt a little part of him die. He really missed Olaf. He could always make another but it wasn't...the same.

Soon, even though Lila had a thousand things to tell him, they left Jack to his own devices in a modest guest room. The moon was out tonight, even just half, and it shown onto Jack's bedding sheets- and Jack could feel the disapproval. Well screw the moon, he thought as he slammed his shutters close.

He mused about this new family. He had long ago surmised the similarities between Jamie and his late sister Emma, the one he had saved from drowning nearly three hundred years ago. So, in a way, he was sure Jamie was related to him, through his sister.

But this was so much more intense, to know that they weren't his sister's family, but his own. His blood. Not his mother's blood divided into a sister into more, but his own genetic code with Elsa, passed through years and people. He was overcome with emotion, and that's the way he drifted off to sleep. It was a good way to go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, not Elsa. Sorry if I disappointed anyone a ton!
> 
> MORE NAMES :) Lila was a character created by an early reviewer back when this had only like 20 reviews. I'll post a link to a picture that person drew of her on my profile soon.
> 
> Lila (LYE-lah). The person who created said it meant purple in Nordic tradition, but I can't find that. Here's what I did find (I don't think she's lying-its a popular name across many languages). In persian in means dark haired beauty or night. In sanskrit it means divine play. In swahli it means 'good'. Simple spelling for Leila. As a Sanskrit name, Lila [lee-LAH] was the name of a queen who was enlightened by the Goddess Saraswati.
> 
> Tyr (teer): Norse. Means 'God'. In Norse mythology, Tyr is the god of single combat and heroic glory, portrayed as a one-handed man. In the late Icelandic Eddas, he is portrayed, alternately, as the son of Odin (Prose Edda) or of Hymir (Poetic Edda). The name Tyr meant "god" and goes back to a Proto-Germanic Tîwaz, earlier Teiwaz, continuing Proto-Indo-European *deywos "god", a word related to but distinct from the name of the sky-god Dyeus.
> 
> Ingrid (ING-grid): Norse. Means 'Ing's beauty'. Princess Ingrid of Sweden was the wife of the Danish king Frederik IX. Her daughter, Margarethe II, is the current Queen of Denmark. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is the daughter of the Norwegian heir apparent, Crown Prince Haakon. She is therefore second in line to the throne. Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who won three Academy-Awards. Ingrid was the 6th most popular name in Norway in 2006.


	52. Chapter 52

It may have been the excitement, or it may have been the feeling of sleeping in a bed once again, but Jack woke at the time that he would have woken if he still lived with Elsa.

The bitterness hit him like a ton of bricks, and he breathed in too deep, and ended up coughing. Air. That's what it felt like to feel alive again, huh? In fact, he felt more palpable than he had in years. And...he felt hungry.

He stumbled out of the bedroom, nearly tripping over the seemingly psychotic tabby (the cat hissed and clawed at his feet, but unfortunately he did not bleed from the cuts) before scrambling away to glare at him from behind a couch. Pfft.

He was the only one up at dawn, it seemed. Anna was always up with the sun, he recalled. Usually, if given the opportunity, all of his frost like children and wife would sleep into the night and wake during the dark. He wondered, because Lila resembled Anna, if she would be up now or later, because of her hair?

His stomach growled, and he opened the ice-box. He was immediately overwhelmed with a thousand different oddly named things, things that surly didn't exist when he was a king. It took him forever to find just an orange-nothing fancy about it, some cold milk, and a couple eggs to scramble. Then he turned to the stove, and realized that eggs would be much more difficult than he previously imagined.

It took him a full hour figure out how to work the darn thing, and he was REALLY hungry by that time. Soon, though, he had the eggs sizzling on the pan.

"Oh! Jack, it's you." He hadn't heard Ingrid enter, and turned, waving.

"Hi! Hope you don't mind. I didn't want to wake any of you just because I was a little hungry."

"No, no." She sat down, dazed, "That's perfectly fine...I just..." She scrutinized him. Jack gave a little laugh.

"Didn't expect me to be real." He surmised wisely. Ingrid blushed hard, as if she had offended him.

"Am I that transparent?"

"No, I'm just good at reading people." Jack shrugged, "Been around a bit, yeah?"

"Of course." Ingrid ran her fingers through her hair, "Do you want some coffee?" She asked.

"Mhh, yes please." Jack recalled the deliciously addicting brown liquid from his castle days. He was very much intrigued by the machine that made it though, the binging and the steaming and all.

"Never seen a coffee machine?" Jack wordlessly shook his head, without turning away from it. He watched it up until it was done, and she placed the cup in his fingers. It was warm, and better than he recalled.

"Coffee machines are nothing new." Ingrid said carefully, "In fact, ours is as old as crap."

"I didn't...It's been awhile. I lived in towns, but I didn't live with people. Didn't really care about learning about their world. Not even Jamie's." He added softly.

"This all must be quite the shock to you, then?" She asked, and he nodded, cooling the drink a little with his frost magic. Ingrid's eyes followed.

"Have you seen a cell phone yet?" She asked. Jack nodded.

"Yeah, creepy little box things. Jamie has one-to think! It used to take days to sent a letter to someone and now you could text someone half-way across the world and BAM! Its just there! I don't know...I think I prefer the old hand written letters, wax seals and all that royal stuff." He winced.

"It can be a bit scary when thrust into this world." Ingrid agreed.

They chatted about the 21st century for a bit, Jack asking her all the questions that Jamie had brushed away to do something more exciting. Teaching a winter spirit about how a toaster functions was clearly not on a sixteen-year-old's priority list of things he wanted to do with his time. Ingrid, on the other hand, was more than willing to show him everything in their kitchen, and beyond. Jack felt as though he'd missed 1000 years, not just 100. There was so much to learn, so much that for once, he wanted to learn. Anything to feel closer to Elsa again, her world instead of his world of loneliness.

Tyr woke up about an hour after, but it was a weary and childish like awakening which his mother promptly shut the door and told him to sleep at least until 10. Her and Jack shared a look, as how he remembered having to do the same with little Nevada when she was young and full of energy, and would wake too early and then burn out before the day had begun.

Lila woke at about 11, and she was looking quite like Anna had in early mornings. Hair sticking up in all directions, clothing askew and hanging from her shoulders, eyes blinking blinding at the light. She took one look at Jack, blushed and quickly retreated back into her room. Ingrid chuckled.

"She is hardly a swan in mornings." She commented, stirring her second cup of coffee with one finger.

Lila appeared after a bit of banging, looking nothing like she had ten minuets previous. She had a little band in her hair, which she used to tie back her unruly mane. "I forgot you were still here." She apologized awkwardly, and was on her way to get breakfast...or lunch...when she paused and frowned deeply, "Jack, stand up." Jack obliged, although confused.

She looked at him, until her mother chastised her for staring. Finally she spoke, her words low and in utter disgust, "Who dressed you?"

"Lila!" her mother snapped.

"Mom! Look at him! Looks like he raided a thrift store blind! His clothes don't even fit him! And he wants to go out in that? That will really draw attention, let me tell you-," She began but her mother quickly shushed her. Jack wasn't quite offended though.

"It's all I could borrow. Maybe, though, some clothes would be...nice?" He agreed, and Lila shot her mother a triumphant smirk. Ingrid bit her lip hard, thinking, and looking at him too.

"Mhh, Lila's right. Those are really quite dreadful."

It took an hour to wake Tyr again, and to dress and feed him so he looked a little presentable, and then she buttoned his coat. "We're going on an adventure, dear." She said to his endless questions of where they were going.

"First, shopping." Lila was counting off an invisible list, "Then the castle."

"Our castle." Tyr piped up, and Ingrid ruffled his hair.

"Not ours, your ancestors." She corrected, "We live in a nice house, don't we now?" She prompted.

"Castles are cooler." Jack had to agree, but Ingrid's glare prompted him to keep it to himself. Geeze, he felt mothered again. Or like it was Elsa's warning glare. Odin knows he'd gotten more than a handful of those in his years with her!

The clothing store that Lila dragged them into was not expensive, but for sure not this alleged 'thrift store' where he seemed to have acquired Jamie's things. She was holding up tight looking jeans to his figure, along with shirts.

"How many, Jack?" She asked.

"Oh, I won't need more than one..." He insisted uneasily.

"I think three." She decided as if he had never spoken.

"Two." Ingrid compromised, she too drowning out Jack's protests. He left the store in one whole new stylish outfit, with about four other possible combinations in a large bag, Jamie's things at the bottom. He decided to look at it positively, if he was going to be around his family now, even so smally, he didn't always want to be in his winter attire. North, the only Guardian to wear actual clothes, did have a whole closet full of things.

Since the store was closer to their home than the castle, they stopped back at home to hastily throw his bag into the hall, and to feed the annoying cat. He waited outside and attempted to orient himself.

The little squished town of tiny shops and quaint business had expanded and gone farther than he ever thought. He wondered sadly how much of the forest Kristoff had loved was gone, cut down, vanished? A cold fear clenched him suddenly, that Pabbie's burrow was all but destroyed. Then, something inside him cooled his worry, and he knew that Pabbie would be find. His magic was stronger than anything else, it seemed.

The closer they got to the castle, the more he recognized the streets. Oh, they were vastly different, but it seemed that part of 'Old Arendelle' had been kept as it was, unrestored and still magical. Aoife's former seamstress shop was gone, replaced with a McDonalds and a sudden burst of anger rose through his body. His family didn't notice the way his fists clenched and he had to stop himself from doing something he'd regret.

Other familiar places were long gone, and Jack realized with full force the loneliness of the return of his memories, and how horrible it already made him feel. Perhaps...if he had been around...some of these places would have been kept as a remnant, if only for his selfish need for reminders of Elsa's favorite places- where they got their bread from, delivered by a young and caring tubby kid each morning, where the twins- Wynter and Izo- picked out the engagement rings for their future wives, where Neela did her fashion apprenticeship with a different seamstress before Aoife's to build different characters, and so many other places...gone...

The castle looked reasonably the same, if not with a few more modern touches, but Ingrid still paused him before they got to the entrance. "Jack...it's not the place you'll remember..." She cautioned.

"It's still my home." Jack insisted, and smiled a bit, "Just looking at it...I already feel so much better." And he did. Ingrid's lip twitched uneasily, and she sighed.

"I'll be able to get us behind the scenes because it is my family's, but..." She broke off, "You'll see."

They had to trudge through a long line of people paying and bags being checked. Ingrid flashed a little card, and she was waved through with a smile from the guard. Jack was pretty sure he did a double take when he passed, though. Maybe it wouldn't be horrible for people to recognize...their king had returned.

He was taken away as soon as he entered the courtyard, but in a good way. Tears clogged in his eyes, as he spied a new statue smack-dab in the middle. It was him...and Elsa. Elsa was facing out one way, one hand up like she was holding a ball, but it was an intricate assemblage of snowflakes from copper. His eyes followed down her arm, where one hand was clasped with his statue self. He was standing in his regal official king uniform, but in his other hand, was his magical staff. There was the same copper snowflakes around where it grabbed the wood. He was speechless, and awed.

He stumbled forward, reaching a finger out to touch the cold marble one of Elsa's, and he swore he felt something when he touched it. He fell to his knees and saw the inscription on the template, and whispered it to himself. "Long last the winter, long live the King and Queen of magic. Queen Elsa and King Jack." He turned to Ingrid and Lila.

"It's beautiful!"

"My father commissioned it." Ingrid said, nodding, "It was well received by the public." They let Jack gaze at it until he was ready. The continued into the castle.

The front entrance hall was roped off, and brigades of students and tour groups crisscrossed. There were glass boxes of familiar family heirlooms that once had dotted his house, and many portraits brought up. His and Elsa's heir portrait was smack-dab in the middle. Lila grinned.

"They loved you two, you were like William and Kate!"

"Who?" Jack questioned.

"Never mind." Ingrid shook her head, "I mean, Elsa's parents were fair people, but you two...you brought Arendelle to a whole new level of good. And your children were so different, it was something once to be proud of." Nonstalic swam in her eyes, "You two are like gods to some people...well I suppose...you are..." She added.

Jack turned in a circle three times. It was already a little overwhelming.

"Do you want to take the normal tour, or go on our own?" She asked.

"I want to see my bedroom." He insisted. Ingrid looked wary, and shrugged. On the way, they passed a family tree. Jack stopped to trace his fingers over the lines of deaths, and all the grandchildren and other family members he never met. Deep sadness fell like a cloak over his emotions. All he felt was like he had missed so much, too much to be excused. Something caught his eye.

"Alfsol had a kid?" He asked, jarring him away from his self-loathing, "That must be a mistake."

"Her name was Seleste. She was the daughter of one of those exotic dancers. She only appeared on his death bed, not looking for money, but her father. I hear it was quite the emotional meeting." Ingrid explained. Jack shrugged, chuckling.

"I'm surprised he only had one. He was a favorite customer there." He chuckled, "That place is for sure gone, right?" He asked sharply.

Lila laughed, "Really? You think a shady place like that would disappear? Think again." Jack grudgingly admitted her logic was correct.

They walked quietly through the halls. He could tell Ingrid felt like she had to lead, but then remembered that Jack knew the castle better than she could ever imagine. In fact, he was making little side comments about a new paint job, or the hole in the wall that Rizpah had created gone, or a different bookshelf that was only slightly darker brown than the last. He paused when they merged with a hallway that the regular tours were entering, and he saw abridged history on the wall. He scoffed at the first picture.

"Dragons, really guys?" He chuckled, pointing at the seemingly child-like dragon on the wall, "Dragons don't exist."

"You're one to talk." Lila sneered playfully, nudging Jack in the side with her elbow.

"Dragons though...what kind of things did they tell you all?" He asked honestly.

"A couple years after you disappeared, Heimdall wanted do do a full history on the family. I think he was really interesting to see where Elsa's powers came from, hoped that the old history books stuffed into a box underneath something that was really just trash had some interesting things. It wasn't what he was looking for but..." Lila looked at her mother, "You know the history better than I do."

Ingrid gave a sly smile, and cleared her throat, all presentation like. Some wanderers stopped to listen, hearing the authoritative tone to her voice. "Sometime in between 800 CE and 1100 CE, in this area, Arendelle was not Arendelle. In fact, it wasn't even called such things until about the 1500's. Before that, it was just nothing. It had great opportunities, but so far was not settled. Across the sea, was a little un-innovative Viking village called Berk that was known for dragons. After a great tragedy, they had to relocate. Due to their flying capabilities, the great chief Hiccup settled his people in this area, bringing what Heimdall is the beginning of the magic. It seeped into the ground, and the dragons met with the trolls and BAM! Possibilities galore. Of course, there's nothing talked about until your wife was born with her abilities, which Heimdall still was unable to explain even after much research. If there was before her, perhaps they were not talked about or thought to be unnatural." She shrugged, "We'll never know. The dragons died around the time of Vikings left popularity, but I think they're hibernating somewhere. Oh, well."

Jack still didn't believe her. Nor did he believe the portrait of a freckled man with brown hair- the first 'King' with a beautiful but stern looking blonde woman with a little dragon on her shoulder. Pfft. A painter's over-active imagination.

It became painful for him when he reached his own family portraits. He stared for a long time at Elsa's and Anna's parents. They looked so different than the portrait that was next to theirs, his own. Seeing them made him miss his own mother so much more. He didn't have any memories of a father, and he just assumed he died tragically and suddenly. That was indeed the time period and all.

He moved to his own portrait, and he looked so much older. Elsa had commissioned it during the time he thought was his mortality. He was a little older, and Lila was looking at it too.

"You look much older. Did they do that to appeal to everyone?" She asked.

"No. I was mortal, I think, for a time. Now...I'm not quite sure what it was." He admitted, and then moved on. Sarafina and her husband, a man he didn't remember. The man's skin was as black as night, and he had a wide smirk on his face.

"Who's that?"

"He's Ethiopian Royalty. I hear he was fair, just, and the most honorable guy you'd ever meet. They didn't marry or have kids until Elsa had already died. I love this picture- the juxtaposition of their skin, so white and so dark. It's...beautiful." Lila murmured.

"Why are you not black?" Jack asked.

"Our knowledge of genetics I suppose did not ever encounter a frost gene. Their non-magical children were dark, but not anyone who was magical." She shrugged, "The gene is still there, some of my cousins are black."

He went to the next picture, but after that, the photos just stopped. It explained how the kings and queens were not so anymore, and had a couple pictures of Lila and her family with other similar looking people, saying that the remains of the heirs were still very much active in the community. A few people around this station murmured when they realized the 'Royal Family' was visiting.

"Let's go." Ingrid said uncomfortably, grabbing Jack by his jacket like she would a child. Jack was glad to leave.

His old room was nothing like when he had lived there, no doubt renovated and changed by the couples after him. Yet, when he closed his eyes, it was like he was home again- Elsa reading in their bed, maybe Berlio or Vienna bugging them for something, Nevada and Caulton bickering about something. It was all there, but when he re-opened his eyes, everything was different.

"No." He said, and turned around promptly. It was a bad idea to come here. It wasn't the same, it never would be. Everything was cased and haunted by memories. He was heading for the gates when Lila grabbed him.

"Jack! Don't you want to see Elsa's graveyard? I hear you haven't seen it yet." He turned to her, bleary eyed.

"I guess so." He said, and his stomach churned. The grave-yard was far less populated than inside the castle, and it began with the oldest deaths.

"Look- Hiccup's name!" Lila pointed out triumphantly.

"Still doesn't mean dragons exist." Jack bit out grumpily.

"There's a dragon on his headstone."

"Artistic additive." He dismissed sourly.

He let Lila lead him, as already he was dissolving into a blubbery mess, and but he stopped at Elsa's parent's grave and paid his respects. He had been to this one before. He sucked in hard at Elira's grave. He remembered how hard that death had rocked the whole family. Gavner had been beyond grateful at Elsa's gentle suggestion to burry her here. While Heloise was buried in a grave-yard Jack hadn't seen in the present time, Gavner insisted that her mother would want her to be buried in the place where her second mother would one day lay. Elsa really had taken the two girls on as additional daughters, and came to love them as so. Gavner was just to her other side. He paused there. "I'm sorry my old friend, that I was not there for you. You-of all people- shouldn't have had to die alone. I understand if you can't forgive me, because how can I ever forgive myself?" He asked.

He looked up and saw Lila next to a headstone. He didn't have to ask or even look to know which it was.

Elsa's grave. It was not ornate and superfluous like some others, but simple and covered in frost shaped rocks, like she would have wanted. He let himself fall and press his forehead hard against her grave.

"I'll leave you." Lila said, pulling Tyr and her mother to the entrance. Jack appreciated it. It was snowing hard, and his footsteps that had let him here were soon filled in, just like the invisible man he had begun as. Without Elsa, he would have lived his whole life empty without meaning. Even the Guardians, as he had discovered, was not enough. She has shown him what it meant to love, and he loved her with every bone, every fiber of his being.

Shoulders hunched, he turned himself so he was resting his back against her grave, and felt sick at the idea she was buried down there...and he hadn't said good-bye before she was covered in eternal darkness.

"Hi Elsa." It had been eons it seemed since he said it out loud, since he talked to her. He didn't expect her to respond, "Life is so different now, dear. And I officially win the award for worst father of the century. If you been alive, you would have skinned me alive. I think I deserve it." He gave a long sigh.

He sat there until someone came up to Lila's family and informed them the castle would be closing soon, and that the public was already out- no matter if they had their special passes or not.

Jack, before he left, placed a ice-made forget me not at the foot of her grave, and took his time to make ice roses for the girls and ice birds for the men. It was one thing to know Elsa was dead, but the reality that the rest of his family was gone didn't set in until he saw their death dates and put the gift at their spots. Even Azura, who he was sure took after his winter imagine, had her grave-stone.

The guard was speechless as he examined the little gifts, and Jack gave him a soft nod as he was leaving. "Take care of my home, will you?" He asked. The guard was too busy trying to close his mouth to reply.

"You'll be leaving now, won't you?" Lila realized with horror.

"Yes." Jack agreed softly, painfully, "But I'll be close. You know the ice castle to the north?" He asked.

"Who doesn't? It's in a national park now." Lila said.

"That is where you can find me, my dear. I would like to see you all there again." The walk was silent back home, and he gathered his things. He tried to give them the clothes, but they insisted he keep it. The whole family gathered in the highest room of their house and watched Jack creep onto the sill like a cat, and then jump off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG Jack you can't just ask people why they're not black! (Lol did anyone else think that?)
> 
> And if you want a cool song that inspired me, listen to 'Us' by Regina Spektor- it has a line about making a statue of a couple in it. I dunno, I like it.
> 
> And Hiccup appeared! Yay!
> 
> This, I think, is for sure the longest chapter to date!


	53. Chapter 53

Jack was not done in Norway yet, though. He had one last place to visit before he returned back to America, and then to set things up to move to the ice castle on a more permanent scale.

The place he was going was still where it had begun, but it too was now in a thing called a 'National Park'. Where he was going was roped off from any public, and Jack scaled over the fence. When he entered the clearing, it was like nothing at all had ever changed.

When he entered, the rocks shuddered and moved. He just sat on a rock, patiently waiting. The last time he had been here, he had been irate and dangerous. He was a man with nothing to lose, but he had been wrong. He really had lost it all. He half expected himself be angry, or vengeful, but he was not.

He was just detached from those emotions.

"Jack? I thought...what are you...?"

"Hello, Pabbie." Jack said, jumping down from his perch, "I've regained my memories."

"I see that." Pabbie said cautiously, as if waiting for something awful to happen.

"I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you're waiting for...I've forgiven you." he realized, and Pabbie's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"Forgiveness." Jack repeated, "I just...well, I thought I should come here."

"Jack, I wronged you. It has haunted me for a hundred years. I should have disobeyed, I should have done what you wanted in the first place...your family..." He begun.

"I know, already."

"I explained what you really wanted. Most forgave you." Pabbie said, "I told them it was me to blame."

"I'm a guardian now." Jack shrugged, "It had to happen this way."

"You've fulfilled his destiny, but you can't get out of it, Jack. You can never have what you wanted."

"I don't want to abandon my family again, the little I have left." Jack shook his head.

"Ah..." Pabbie sighed, "Then you are in quite the predicament, eh?" He asked, and Jack shrugged.

"I don't see why I can't do both." He answered honestly.

Pabbie frowned. "Because you couldn't do that with Elsa, so why do you think now is different?" He asked.

"Because now I know!" Jack threw up his hands, "I know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing. You lot are horrible with directions, let me tell you. It's like telling me to drive a car to a certain place that I've never heard of, and you just leave me with a full tank and expect me to magically find it."

"What's a car?"

"Never mind." Jack said in frustration, combing his fingers through his hair, "New, shiny technology."

There was silence. "Is forgiveness the only reason you are here, Jack?"

"The Man in the Moon...does he have anything to say now?" Jack sounded like a small child, trapped and just wanting to please his parents. He had to thank the Man in the Moon. Without him, there would be no Jack and Elsa. None of his children. None of the legacy that lay half an hour behind him. Pabbie paused.

"No."

Jack seemed disturbed slightly, but he just bit his lip. "I see."

"He's a very busy man, Jack." Pabbie said.

"He's a deceitful man. I may have forgiven you...but I don't know if I can...forgive him." He looked up, the moon hardly a sliver in the sky, "Does he even know what love is?" His voice cracked.

"He loves you. He loves the children." Pabbie argued. Jack grasped with his hands.

"Yes, but that's...a certain kind of love. But in that love, you can't kiss it on the lips. You can't fall asleep next to it, running you hands over smooth skin. You can't sing and rejoice when it laughs or stare at it and forget how long you've been staring and feel a blush rise to your cheeks because she's everything you could ever want, ever need. I know a child's love; I loved all my children nearly as much as I loved Elsa."

"I cannot say. No one knows who or what he really is, other than he is there, and he knows all."

"That's quite a predicament." Jack quoted Pabbie's previous words, and swung his staff, "Well, I suppose I just wanted to let you know I'm in town, and will be staying at the ice palace from now on, so we don't awkwardly meet again. I'll...keep in touch." He glanced at the moon, and Pabbie understood why.

"Ah, yes. Jack, please believe me when I say it has been a pleasure to see you again." Jack tipped his head to the little stone, and rocketed off the boulder into a nearly moonless night. It was the light of new hope that guided him back to America, a feeling he had not felt in quite some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack is beginning to forgive. That's a start, at least, right? But not the Man in the Moon...that one, well, I think I understand Jack. But it's a bit unhealthy, his hate. Jack will have to resolve that himself.


	54. Chapter 54

The spirits were shocked when he returned- except Tooth.

"Children? You're a child yourself!" Bunny cried in disgust, but Jack just shrugged it off. He no longer felt like a child- he felt like a King. The King of Frost. He was wiser from his years there, more worldly and empathetic. North noted the change in Jack immediately.

"Your eyes. They do not sparkle like a child, but like a wise master." He said sagely, patting Jack on the back, "Now we see each other." Jack and North shared a look- they were the only two guardians with lovers, even if Jack's was no longer.

The guardians, of course, reacted a lot more warmly when Jack announced he'd found the place he was settling and making home at. He expected Bunny was quite keen on the idea of paying Jack back for all those lovely 'housewarming' gifts near or around easter. For that every reason alone, Jack quickly lied and said he'd need some time to make it more presentable before he was letting anyone in it. They all seemed to accept this, Bunny a little grudgingly, and each gave him a gift to congratulate him on the house and his dead family he'd never known about. Jamie informed him with a joking smile that the latter deserved a bad Hallmark card, and Jack didn't understand. He did promise his favorite great times who knows how many nephew that as soon as he turned 18, he would take him down to see his 'cool' new house. The irony kept Jamie smiling for days each time he referred to it.

Jack left just after winter was up. He had little problem handing this season over to Spring, who thought that perhaps he had a screw loose, but in reality...he had a job to do.

He worked alone for nearly a year. There was little to fix in Elsa's house-most of the fortifying done on their 50th anniversary was still good, intelligent fixes even. He wasn't looking to re-do things. Just make it better. Lila came down and helped sometimes, Ingrid less often (because bringing Tyr and the newborn was a pain) but mostly, Jack woke each morning, ate breakfast (he was making an attempt to become like he had during his reign) then set off to work. He was adding on, making it grander for his visions. It was very therapeutic. He was ashamed of himself that at one point he had wanted to destroy it in an angry rage. Had he, and regained his memories, he would have wanted to kill himself all over again...sort of.

Finally, a year later, just in time for the first snow...it was done. He invited Lila, Tyr, and Ingrid (With her new son, Espen who had white hair as well), putting blindfolds on them and bringing them through the house.

"Ta-da!" He said, and Lila gasped.

"It's so much bigger! What are all those hall ways?" Lila asked gleefully.

"Follow me! I'll tell you soon!" Jack sprinted up the grand stair case. He had kept the room where the met and his own bedroom in pristine order. Just below it though, was four rooms, with little plagues on the wall. Three were ice-made rooms, and one was half-embedded into the stone of the mountain.

"I'm making this a house. No, not just a house, a sanctuary! A school! A place for kids like you who are bullied our outcasted because they are different to learn to control it, learn to love it! I made all these new rooms and classrooms and bathrooms and kitchens..." Jack began rambling, the excitement lighting up his eyes, "And you three- and Jamie, an honorary student, all get your own rooms! Look!" He said, pointing to Lila's name next to the first door. Hers was like a little burrow, with the pink light of a sundown streaming into the walls, making the whole room a shade of pink.

"Where did you get the beds and stuff?" She asked, sitting on the cushion.

"That took a while. Lots of thrift stores and searching in the air for things people left on the street. North gave me a yeti to fix things." He admitted.

Ingrid's room was very regal, and connected to Tyr's so they were never too far away. Jamie's was in the best attempt to make it normal an non-cold, although Jack commented he'd have to figure out how to make it better.

"A school..." Ingrid repeated as she wandered around the multiple dorm areas that she had asked to see next. Jack was standing by with a wide grin.

"I figured, I'm the most important Winter spirit, right? And I'm a guardian! That's a big duty! And everyone else has their helpers, why can't I have my own? Invite anyone you know here, get the word out. And if anyone is looking for a home because their family didn't understand their powers, I'll take them in. This place will be...exactly the kind of thing Elsa would have loved..." His eyes got a misty look to them.

Just as he had hoped, people came. At first it was one or two knocking on his door, but soon word got around and he had nearly 50 frost or water (perhaps a mutation of the original power) sleeping in the dorm rooms. And then a fire child appeared. More of those came too. They brought metal to make extensions for their dorm rooms, as the first one burnt down his ice room. Then a earth student appeared. They carved out the mountain next to the castle, and the ice powers made a walk-way in between the main castle and the area they had created. Finally, just as Jack had been waiting, a Spring Air child appeared. They were happy wherever, the most docile of the four powers.

It wasn't just children, sometimes it was whole families. Or adults wanting to finally learn what had happened. Or skilled masters, who Jack invited to stay on as as teachers. Yes, in only two short years, the ice castle had gone from previously only housing two people, to housing nearly 250 at the most populated point. A few came and went, because they had families that still accepted them, although Jack made it clear they were always welcome. Some stayed permanently, and very rarely did one or two never appear again.

It was during the last days of September that it happened; Jack was in the main dining hall with many of his pupils explaining their next test- the big one, where they go out and start bringing winter to the world as Frost Spirits in Training. How he was going to make them fly? Ah, he'd figure that out later.

There was a knock on the door. Lila, who was with some of the littler people, got up to get it.

"I'm not expecting anyone. It might be a newcomer! I'll get it!" Jack said, pushing her back down. He always had a sense of glee when someone new appeared, or when he was out making winter and he could recruit someone. He was getting quite good at telling the signs now.

He peered through the door, and saw someone standing with their back turned. He liked to play a little game...from who in the family were they descendants of? All four powers began in his family line. Clearly the frost was from him and Elsa, although a couple frost kids made their way into the grandchildren of Anna and Kristoff (recessive gene and all). The fire was from Rizpah's and Hugo's line. Air came from Claire and Wynter. And Earth came from the sole biological child of Rin and Kane, which had been quite the surprise but warm welcome by their two adopted children a year after they were married. About 72% of the time he got it right. The other times, he liked to pretend that deep down, he knew.

"Hi there," He began as he opened the door, "Welcome to-,"

The woman, it was a woman, pushed past him, spinning around. She was wearing a hood that had obscured her face and as soon as she took it off and looked at him, Jack's heart stopped.

"Odin, it's true about what they've said!" Jack found himself in a hug, the woman's body hugging him tightly, "Dad!"

Jack was absolutely dumbfounded. Speechless. Astounded. Flabbergasted. A million other synonyms flew through his mind to try to describe the intense emotions that were furiously battling to make sense in his addled brain.

"A...A...Azura?" he asked carefully, afraid she was just a mere mirage and would break and shatter at his voice. The girl was silent, at he feared that he had just hoped to imagine the voice of one of his daughters once again. The, she moved back, wiping away a tear from underneath her eyes.

"It's me, dad...it's me." She assured, repeating those words over and over. By now, a small crowd had gathered to see who was at the door, and Jack saw Lila on the fringes, trying to push people back from getting too close. Lila was now one of the teachers, even at her young age, and quite respected.

"Lila!" He called joyfully, and his grand-daughter (he was through with all the 'greats' added on, it was just bothersome when she was indeed a closer 'grand-daughter' than anyone had ever been, other than perhaps Sara.)

"She looks like you, Jack." Lila said.

"Really?" Jack held Azura out at an arms length, "Everyone said she looked a bit like Elsa but-no." He shook his head, "That hardly matters now! This is my daughter! It's Azura!" He whispered, hardly believing it, "Zur, this is Sara's great-grand daughter, Lila."

Azura studied her. Lila had let her white hair grow out now that she was under from scrutiny, and the girl had a natural look to her face.

"I can see the family resemblance." Azura agreed, pleased with her clearly.

"I think you two need some time alone." Lila sighed, and began hastily shoo-ing away the peeping students, announcing that food was well past time being done and there was lessons to be learned. Promptly, she took her level four class away, which was quite the majority, and everyone else just stumbled away on their own, but not without shooting a few looks over their shoulders.

"This is..." Azura looked around, blinking, "Different. Different than when I was last here, oh," She scratched her head, "Thirty years ago?" She guessed.

"I think we need to talk." Jack said, sobering finally from the cloud he was floating on, and led his daughter up to his own private study. When she was sitting, with her things on the table in front of her, waiting for him, she looked not the same. For one thing, she was much younger. There was a glow to her that he couldn't quite place. It was almost like a stranger sitting there.

"Do you still like cinnamon in your hot chocolate?" Jack asked carefully, stirring the spoon around the mug. Azura shoot him a odd look.

"It's still me, dad. Of course." She guffawed, like Jack shouldn't have even asked, but he felt reassured in it anyway, and let his shoulders relax as he carried out two cups of the steaming chocolate.

Azura drank in long sips, sighing in contentment. Jack just stared at her. After a couple moments, Azura noticed and set down her cup. It hit the table with a resounding thunk.

"What?" She asked, "Do I have a chocolate mustache?" She wiped above her lip swiftly, wincing at the idea.

"You're...younger. And sitting...in my kitchen. Zur, you look like you're...you're...twenty! You were so old when I saw you a hundred years ago," Another thought struck him like lightning, "Aren't you supposed to be dead by now? How are you still up walking around?" Jack was loosing his composure a little, and he was breathing heavily, "Azura! I saw your grave yesterday! I laid a rose at it and now you're here. What the..." He leaned both his elbows on the wood and rubbed his temples, breathing out hard.

Azura looked a little struck. "Haven't you figured it out?" She asked, frowning hard, "I'm...I'm like you dad." Jack realized where he'd seen the sheen. On season spirits.

"No!" Jack stood swiftly, pacing the room, "God, Azura, no!"

"What? What dad? What's wrong?" There was worry in her voice, but also she was offended. Jack didn't care. He grasped her shoulders.

"Azura, I never wanted this life for you. I was relieved when I saw your grave. I should know how lonely and long this life is. You can't be with someone, you can't fall in love. You are bound by duties that are inescapable...why...how...how could I let this happen?" Jack's guilt plaguing him, and he fell back into the chair.

"Dad, I'm happy." The word seemed effortless breathing from her lips, "I hadn't in a long time. I was pain, I was surly. But now, I've never felt like anything was so right. I've always known that I was meant to be like this. And now, we can be lonely together."

The words echoed nearly perfectly what Jack had told Elsa when they had first met in this very place two hundred years ago, and Jack just lost it. He cried.

Azura frowned deeply, but she did not leave and did not ask why. She hovered slightly away from him, and Jack let everything go. Something inside of him urged him to be selfish, to not care about the chance at the light of whatever came next for his most powerful daughter, and to be glad she was here. That something of his old life was still beating, still home. His more selfish side won.

"Why is there a grave at Arendelle?" He asked finally, his voice cracking like he hadn't spoken in years.

"Well, when I went to Pabbie, I knew I was dying. I wasn't...looking for this. I wasn't going to ask. But I had been out in the snow, and perhaps I didn't want to be alone. I think after he took your memories, he always felt guilty. The moon you used to speak so fondly and the one I was born under was out. He said that I was glowing in it. The moon gave me my advanced powers when I was born, and they were a gift. Dying would be disrespectful he said. I believed him. When I woke up, I was young again...and I stepped out of my body. My mortal body is buried." She explained.

"You listened to Pabbie about that?" Jack hissed savagely, "Even after he took my life away from me?"

"The man in the moon told me. He talked to me. Hasn't he..." She broke off at Jack's expression.

"I've never heard him talk. Only through others." Jack admitted, "It haunts me. No matter." He shook his head, "Where in the world have you been?"

"After I became a real spirit, the winter spirits we not happy. When you were being childlike and plain old messing things up, there was a very structured line of duty. I got the short end of the stick and I've been in Antarctica trying to save polar bears and all since I died." She frowned, "But when i heard the rumors, I...I had to leave. I hope they understand. If not, then screw them." She gave him another hug, "You're my daddy."

Daddy. He had not been called that in so many years. It was a moniker that all his children had employed once or twice in their lives, although it was mostly in their young years and all, and they had grown out of it. He'd heard his grandchildren call their parents such things, but it wasn't the same when he was not on the receiving end. It was such an intimate and endearing sort of title, and his whole body just slumped. The carefully built facade that he'd worn for so long just shattered.

"Azura..." He whispered, his voice hoarse and low, "I'm a wreck." He admitted, "I haven't...been...with it since I regained my memories. And nothing can replace your mother, but...you don't know how much it would mean to me...if you stayed..." He whispered, afraid she'd reject him for all the things he'd been in other times, how he'd left them all.

Azura just stood, the same mothering look in her eyes the night they'd found him underneath this castle, translucent as a window, and she set her chocolate down. "Dad...how could I not stay?" She asked, "Most kids at one point have to take care of senile parents like their parents cared for them once. I never had that chance, but I can do the best of it to take care of you now. You look...exhausted."

"I haven't slept well." He admitted, running his fingers through his hair. Slept well, that was an understatement! He had not slept in nearly six months. Sleeping was once again, not quite the most important or imperative thing for him- like eating it was a luxury- but since it was non-required, his body wouldn't let him. It was Elsa's absence, her ghost at every corner, that kept him awake. A normal person would have eventually succumbed, and had a rocky hour at best, but Jack was always staring, eyes wide.

Azura immediately saw through all this. She snatched away his chocolate and hurried into the kitchen. She returned and shoved the re-warmed drink into his hand. "Drink." It was not a suggestion, but a command, "I put something in there so you'll sleep. You can't go on like this."

"But classes..." Jack murmured weakly and Azura rolled her eyes.

"I'm your daughter, and quite intelligent. I can figure it out and the place won't burn to ashes in day. Sides, that descendant of ours Lila seems competent. She'll agree with me I bet about you and sleep." She insisted firmly. She then herded Jack into his bedroom, where she drew the curtains so the room was plunged into partial-darkness.

"You would have made a good mom, Zur. I'm sorry you never had any children..." He grimaced, feeling a loss for the maternal feeling Azura never had. Azura seemed non-concerned.

"You're a handful enough as it is, Dad." She teased softly, and then hugged him.

"I love you." She said, and closed the door. Even though she was gone, Jack spoke.

"I love you too." It was the first time he could remember saying it out loud and it being truthful in many, many years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww Azura's back! As a spirit.
> 
> Originally, back when I was first writing this, she wasn't going to be a spirit. But then after everyone pleaded so much, I did change it. Besides, I feel like Jack needs this to make another very important step in his process to a happy ending.
> 
> Espen (e-SS-pen): Scandinavian. Means 'god bear'.


	55. Chapter 55

Azura stayed on, rising among the ranks to a star teacher and great organizer. Jack had never been great at all the papers and such that came with a school, usually he trudged through them when he really had to, and they were half-hearted attempts. Elsa had always dealt with pesky paperwork in their kingdom, or Heimdall.

Azura, though, was amazingly resourceful and within a month had created an office with a intricate and pristine filing system that Jack was under no circumstances allowed to touch without her in the room. It was for the best, really.

Fall came and Jaime was 18. Jack felt it was safe and reasonable to whisk him away to see his house now, because there would be little complications as far as he could see compared to stealing a child under his mother's roof. Jamie took care of all the background stuff, explaining it was a apprenticeship for a science major and study.

He wasn't technically lying. Jamie had always been interested in science, and over the years had become fascinated with Jack's family line and his relatives with the white hair, and the other season powers that grew from other sprouts on his tree. He was going to study and test and try to unravel the mysterious of their genetic powers, how it worked in their bodies, and ect. The earth powers made a nice place for him, thankfully not made out of ice like his first room. Besides, Azura now occupied that space.

Jamie was furiously studying every day, talking with students, taking tests, computing numbers...Jack didn't get it, but Lila was quite interested. The first time they met, they had that look about each other...which Jack stopped quickly.

"Okay, so...no." He said firmly, putting his arm's length in between the two, "Look at it this way- if we cut out all the middle lines, technically Jamie is my nephew and you're my daughter so you two are cousins. I don't know if you're first cousins, but knowing your ancestors so closely, it's really creepy and that can't happen."

Luckily this revelation disgusted the two enough so that those looks didn't continue to anything more. In fact, Jamie was quite popular with some of the season students, and Jack felt proud like a father watching little Jamie parade around with a gaggle of girls following him. Jamie was so intrigued though, that soon perhaps he'd have a child of his own to study. Then Jack shook his head; he often forgot how times had changed and 18-year-olds didn't settle down and marry.

It was quite the life. The Man in the Mood seemed more comfortable about letting Jack handle his school since now there were half-spirits everywhere filling gaps in the winter department, and even helping the other seasons. He had a feeling that in fact the Man in the Moon was quite impressed with his training and such, but would never admit it to Jack.

It was near December, and Jack was having a little field-trip down to Pabbie's with some students and Jamie, who was like a kid in a candy shop, asking questions, picking up trolls, scribbling his notes.

Pabbie approached Jack.

"I need to speak with you." He said.

"Sure, Pabs? What's up?" Jack asked.

"Can we go somewhere quiet? Alone?" He questioned. Jack looked at Jamie and Azura, and called them over. He instructed his nephew and daughter to watch the students and, when if i was time to go and Jack was still talking, take them back to the castle and continue. He'd be back soon.

Jack sat on the usual rock that he'd sat on many times before, as he pulled up his legs to sit crossed.

"Azura looks well...since the last time I saw her." Jack was not here often. Perhaps twice a month, just to stay within a contact to a very powerful deity, but it was the first time Azura had followed.

"Since you made her like me?" Jack corrected, with a still hard edge. Azura had taken to one of the boys in the class, but Jack foresaw the exact same thing happening to them as what happened to Elsa and himself. He didn't know how to stop his daughter from loving, when perhaps this was the only chance she'd have. People like him were doomed for misery.

"If you chose to be so negative about it Jack, then yes." Pabbie was growing tired of Jack's spiteful comments.

"What do you want to speak about?"

"It's..." Pabbie paused, "The moon. There has been a disturbance."

"A disturbance?" Jack echoed, "Of what kind? How do you know?" Pabbie glanced in the direction of Arendelle.

"Do you know what makes waves, Jack? On seas and such?" He asked, as if diverting the conversation but Jack knew the two were connected.

"The moon. Duh."

Pabbie gave Jack a most incredulous look, "I'm educated Pabbie. The etiquette teacher made quite sure of that." He remembered with a rueful smile. To become a true 'king' there had been so many boring, tedious things to recall that Jack didn't find quite so useful at all. He had to remember what fork was the salad fork and and which was the dinner fork (Most people only had one fork, he thought it was ostentatious to need more than that!), how to ballroom dance (Which was useful so he didn't step on Elsa's feet too much), how to wave to a crowd (because no you couldn't just 'wave' you had to WAVE- yes there was a difference), or a detailed instruction and command that YES he had to wear all the layers of his garments and that wearing the top coat over a white shirt was not acceptable (Which, once again, he thought to be ostentatious and un-needed). That brought a smile to his face the more he thought about it.

He had laughed when Elsa had told him he needed proper teaching; how to be a king, and lessons on english, geography, math, and science. Of course Jack Overland had never had those types of things, he was from a rural and undeveloped society where when he got older, all he had to look forward to was marrying at the end of that winter (He had been engaged when he died, although he couldn't remember her face or name at all now) to have a multitude of children and go and work on a farm or hunt for the remainder of his days. As a spirit, who needed schooling?

Elsa said it was unacceptable and sent him off to that huge library everyday. He found the lessons on academic materials most interesting, but the etiquette he could do without any day. In fact, he had taken the latter so un-seriously that Elsa was reprimanded by the teacher that he was not fit to be king, he saw how much it meant to Elsa and was the perfect student from there on.

Not much of the etiquette came in handy these days; it was all too formal for his tastes. The royal education though...well that was quite good, although there was so much more to learn. He had rediscovered a thirst for knowledge and reading that had developed in the castle, and there had been too many books in the library to read in one life-time. Lila had been sneaking him all the ones he didn't have time then to read, plus some new ones so he was never too out of date on the going ons of this new world.

Getting back to the point, he knew very well that The Man in the Moon controlled the tides.

"Good." Pabbie brushed away his offended tone, "Yes. The tides have been rising higher and higher. The night air is different, and those who can speak to him have all felt the tremors."

"What is he sick?" Jack asked, stupefied.

"No...there's just been...movement." Pabbie was clearly just as without answers as Jack was.

"What does this mean? Another guardian?" Jack frowned, his lips turning sour. He liked his group of five. He loved them all, and really, he didn't want the intrusion of a pesky spirit that he'd have to play nice with.

"No." Jack let out a sigh of relief, "He would have just come out and told us such if that were the case. You'd already know." Pabbie gave a long shake of his head, "I...I do not know."

"Then why tell me?"

"I just thought that perhaps it is something you should be aware of. The last time I felt like this, was when the old St. Patrick's Leprechaun died." Pabbie said, patting his back, and indicating that that was all he had to say, "It never hurt to be prepared for...whatever is coming."

"I suppose." Jack replied tensely, "It's high time to be getting back to the school. Things to learn, water to freeze, lessons to be taught to drooling students...you know." Jack was leaving hastily, because Pabbie's words wedged something deep into his heart.

Back at the castle, he sat on the porch, and stared at the moon. The fizzier had vanished, and he felt silly for reacting so strongly. The moon looked fine and Jack was quite sure Pabbie had been over-reacting or was not quite as wise as he'd once been (100 years was a long time, even for trolls) and that it was all just an over-exaggeration.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's commenting about thinking that Azura and Jamie would get together? What guys, seriously that never even crossed my mind XD LOL. Yeah neither Lila or Azura are going to date Jamie...what with the close relation and all...sorry to everyone's that's disappointed about that XD But you'll love who Azura ends up with. He's pretty awesome.

It was nearly Christmas and Jack was restless.

He woke and walked every space of the castle. He slipped into rooms, through the shadows and remained unnoticed. He was the invisible man he had once started as, silent as a panther, calculating as a predator. But it didn't feel that way to him.

If anyone would have seen, perhaps they would have imagined it was a good-bye. He too, had he been more naive and just from the moon's embrace yesterday, would have believed in those thoughts all too much with the unrealistic hope something greater was coming. But Jack, three hundred years later, knew much better than those childish things.

No, if he had to describe his little tour around, he would say it was remembering. Recalling the spaces in the castle that were built by him and Elsa, that intersected with the new. Just like himself. Here before him stood generations much past his time, walking through the grand hall where Elsa and Anna had found each other, running down the ice-bridge to hop a train back into town to go out to restaurants, see a movie, visit friends that were not as gifted and so on. And Jack, in all his sage wisdom, watched.

First he stopped in the infirmary. There was quite the action occurring there, so his entrance was unnoticed. After four years, his school had expanded to monuments numbers. Being such, not everyone got alone. He had been informed already that morning of a nasty brawl that had started between a summer student, an fall student, and a winter student. Something about a girlfriend between friends and a justice-serving fall student who had foolishly gotten in between the two. Usually it was the spring students doing such goody-good stuff like so. The head nurse was giving the trio and earful, while a doctor bandaged them up. Jamie was buzzing around. It was rather out of the usual; not only had the winter student got hit over the head with a large stone and slightly burned, he had frozen himself, which in the all the years and all the students had never occurred. That is why Jamie was on the scene immediately.

Jamie was a fixture here now. When he was old enough to go to college, all he wanted to do was stay with Jack and the friends he had made here, as a large majority of them were still students well into their 20s. Of course when his mother had seen the pamphlets for collages in Norway, she hadn't taken it well. Firstly, it broke her heart to see her baby want to go so far away. Jamie tried to explain that he didn't want to stay in Pennsylvania, not that it wasn't great, but he wanted to explore. Secondly, money was a big issue. Until a student meekly came forward.

It was a House of Rizpah Summer student. Her father was the head of a large university, and therefore by extension in Jack's large family tree. He had been more than happy to offer Jamie a full scholarship as a thanks for what Jack had done to their family, and promised that he would excuse Jamie to continue studying genealogy and science at the academy at least once a week. After that, his mother had a hard time refusing it.

Jamie had really filled into himself, Jack mused from the back of the walls. When he'd met him, he had been much smaller than the rest of his friends, missing teeth, scrawny, and undoubtably childlike. Now...he'd grown up. He was 20 years old and puberty was a good friend of his, if he had to speak honestly. Jack wasn't blind. He saw the way the females here looked at his nephew. He was tall, thin, muscular, and had a nerdy but attractive appeal to him. Jack was proud of him, like he was his own son. He and Lila were two inseparable friends.

He slipped away and weaved into classrooms. In Lila's room, she was working with the younger students-ages ten and under whose parents that didn't carry the genes usually dumped here for the year in hopes of their child learning to control it's powers- and she was very gentle. In Ingrid's class, which she attended once a week, she was educating high students on Philosophy and Politics. So close to Christmas, it seemed none of the students were really paying close attention. He saw Tyr wandering around the castle with a muffin.

Tyr, now nine, had been half-flabbergasted, half enraged when he finally realized Jack was indeed the Jack from way up the family tree sitting on their mantel. It was a lot to take in, and he felt really stupid for not realizing it. Jack consoled him by reminding him he had only been five.

In Azura's room they were taking a final having to do with defense. After the brush with the mountain lion that had blinded her brother, Azura had worked her ice-powers to the art of war. She was the only one that ever could teach it. It had become an obsession after her immortality was gifted, he'd been told. She never wanted anyone to get into a situation and hurt someone they didn't mean to, and if they had to, to deliver an end quickly without killing or hurting more than necessary. His daughter was terrifying as a teacher.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL AN ICE DAGGER, STARK? PATHETIC!" She screamed at a dark haired boy about the age of 17 who glared at her.

"But I-," He began and Jack chuckled inwardly. Didn't he know not to fight with Azura on things yet?

"NO EXCUSES! DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!" In another life, Azura would have made a great drill sergeant or commander to an army.

He slipped out just as Azula began screaming at another kid, who perhaps didn't deserve it, but it made him chuckle all the same.

It took him the full day to wander around all the grounds, and finally he sat up at his seat as the Headmaster at the dinner table. The room was buzzing. Tonight everyone would be leaving for Christmas vacation. For once, he would be totally alone. Usually there were a few people that stayed, but Ingrid had invited them all back to her house for the two weeks for a family feeling of the season. She had ample room. She had of course invited Jack, but Jack had laughed and said he had lots to do at the castle, and would probably show up on Christmas eve or something, but don't wait up for him. Jamie was going back to visit his family, per usual. Even Azura would be gone, who usually stayed. It's not like she had anywhere else to go, with Jack being her closet living relative at all.

But even in the midst of all that was going on, she had fallen in love with- of all people- the Grimm Reaper. He was a moody looking kid, about the same immortal age of Azura. He didn't say much, he was sort of depressing most of the time. To be honest, Jack had never seen him until Azura did. He was pretty elusive and all.

There had been this kid that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had fallen from an ice thing one of his stupid friends had made. He was only eleven, much too young to be sitting there unable to breath because of a punctured lung and a nasty crack to the head. Azura, who had found him, would not leave his bedside. Then Death appeared.

Azura wasn't even that irritated with the kid that had apparently failed her ice dagger, so just imagine her rage at the idea of The Grimm Reaper who tried to come and take the kid away. Jack had found her screaming in his face, pointer finger repeatedly jabbing his chest with each point she made, and had the poor guy backed up against a wall. Death looked...terrified. That terror morphed into admiration. He let the kid live, if she agreed to meet him somewhere. Azura, miffed and too nice to let the kid die, agreed.

After that...it just happened. Sure, Jack at first was not going to let his baby girl date death, but he calmed down when he saw that she was happy. Admittedly, he would have been glad to see her with anyone...even The Grimm Reaper. If she was lucky enough to find an immortal that she was truly in love with, why should he stand in her way?

She had been very honest about it all when he had asked about a year ago.

"His name is Atanacio Laveau."

"Guzuhntite." Jack teased, and Azura frowned, "Sorry. I just hope Anachocheese-," He began and Azura ticked her tongue.

"You can call him Nash. He prefers it."

"Fine. I hope Nash is good to you." He said honestly, and Azura's eye became liquid. She gave a small smile.

"I know you worry, Dad." She murmured.

"You're my only daughter I still have to look over. I know he's death, but I swear if he hurts you I'll beat him up." He said, and Azura just laughed.

Jack was back with questions when she informed him she'd be going away with him.

"We're visiting his home, dad." Azura had said, as she packed her things. Jack honestly thought they worked well together because she was the only one that had ever the courage to stand up to him.

"The underworld?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. His tone was that of a particularly undesired job that had been just assigned to him.

"Dad, don't make it sound like that. Be happy for me." Azura gave a huff. Jack forced a smile.

"Sounds...warm...enjoyable. I'm sure you'll get really tan there!" His response was acceptable, by Azura's roll of eyes, but clearly a little too forced.

That day, at dusk when everyone else was gone, Azura was waiting. Nash appeared right on time, and there was no words spoken between the men. Jack just glared threateningly in his direction, and Nash met his eyes once but otherwise seemed to ignore him. Jack attempted to turn up the power of his glare when he kissed Azura in front of him. He had long forgotten the feeling of parental protection that surged through his body.

And then...he was alone. He took a glass of wine from the cellar, and went out to the balcony. He sat alone on the ice banister, watching the sun set. The sky was painted with effortless streaks of pink and purple. He popped the cork off, and drank. Merry Christmas to himself.

The moon seemed to be shining brighter than ever before tonight, and Jack resisted the urge to glare at it. Azura was pushing him to forgive the moon. Forgiveness was a virtue, or something like that.

He had to admit, it was unhealthy to hate something so much. It bubbled through his veins and tore him down, wore him out, and exhausted him. It was just for all the time, of course, that he had put into being moody about the moon back when Elsa had died and after he regained his memories.

It was so bright and beautiful tonight. He could remember Elsa and himself sitting on their own balcony, his arms wrapped about her shoulders. They drank wine too and laughed with the moon. The memory brought a smile to his face.

And maybe, he started to forgive the moon a little.

Soon he retreated back to their old room, the grand place they had met with the balcony where he had stepped long ago. There was still the frost patterns, engrained into the ground, where his feet had landed that first day because the awe that was oozing from every portal of him, including his bare feet. He had paused before going into the room, looking at the two frost shapes, and sighed.

He locked the doors, out of habit, put the wine down, and crawled into bed. A dreamless sleep would be a blessing.

Had he been awake, perhaps he would have noticed the way the moon glowed. People in the cities noticed the intensity it shone with that night and called others to witness the strange phenomenon. The moon was almost as bright as the sun. But instead of golden rays, it was silver. He would have noticed the way that all the animals stood alert, heads cocked in the direction of the sky, sniffing the air that was thick with anxiety and the yearning of something that none could ever imagine. He would have noticed how the wind began to pick up, battering trees and running across bare canvases of snow with trickster like laughter. He would have noticed the star that shone like a most perfect ray of light as it descended, tracing a perfect arc across the sky so large and brilliant that people for miles could see it.

But Jack noticed none.

He did however, wake when the winds threw his door open. He groggily woke, wondering with glee how simply that night had passed. Then he realized it wasn't day, it was the moon. And he felt cold for the first time in all his years. On unsteady feet, he padded over to the two doors and stretched, expecting to have to re-fasten the lock and all, since the wind had so carelessly broken it. He would have to have a talk with the Main Spring spirit that employed those jokesters, who often didn't know their own strength. Instead, he woke immediately as he realized that the lock had not been broken, no! It had been unlatched. Someone or something had opened it.

At first, he worried it was Azura. Something must have gone wrong and she had come back in a fit of wind and anger. Oh, he knew there was something no good about Nash. He'd smash his brains in!

"Zur? Are you okay? Azura?" He turned, trying to keep his voice steady without the anger that was already riding with adrenaline. He saw her standing in a corner, faced away, hand out in front of her, as if in shock. What he done?

He grasped his daughters shoulders, straining to see her in the now dim lighting as the moon had quite suddenly retreated, and spun her around. Blue eyes lit and there was a gasp.

"Jack..."

Jack couldn't move. He wasn't breathing, he wasn't even blinking. His lips wanted to speak but they were frozen, the words all catching in his throat like a bad clog, chocking him. His whole body shook, as her face turned in the darkness to catch a singular ray of the moon, which lit up a sliver of her perfect porcelain skin, that glittered like a most beautiful stone. He did not believe it. He couldn't! How cruel was this world, that plagued him with such evil illusions. A singular finger reached out and traced the side of his face, and in that moment he knew it was reality.

He blinked, unable to see by the tears that were rapidly obscuring his vision. It was without a doubt, the most perfectly wonderfully horrible moment of Jack's very existence. This clarity like being stricken down reduced the great Jack Frost, former king of Arendelle, to his knees.

His legs buckled, and Jack cried in front of Elsa.

He got up and threw his arms around her for the most passionate and suffocating hug that anyone could ever receive.

"Elsa..." The name sounded like the most addictive narcotic on his lips, so he said it again, and again, and again. He mumbled it against her hair, where he pressed desperately against her, unable to touch enough of her to prove that she was really here, that it wasn't all going to vanish when he woke up suddenly. She placed both her hands on his face, bringing him back so that she could look at him. Wondrous eyes stared into his soul, and he gave a watery smile through his tears.

She kissed him. It was slow, deep, loving like deep dense magna that was just being awakened, a volcano that had slept for far too long. There was no need, no wonton lust. Jack didn't not immediately feel like throwing them on their bed and doing dirty things, he simply wanted to hold her. He would be damned if he let her go again. When the kiss ended, they pulled apart slowly. He rest his forehead against her own, and they were at the point where words were unneeded. Every gentle touch that the pair made, every thirsty glance, every tear that fell expressed everything that was impossible to say.

Finally, Elsa spoke.

"Is this a dream?" She murmured, pressing her lips against the junction of his neck, her fingers grasping his night clothes in shaky fists.

"I refuse to believe that something so wonderful, so perfect could be the viciousness of just a passing dream." Jack replied, his voice raw and deep, "You're back." He whispered.

Elsa stepped away, and Jack felt the coldness rush in of the emptiness that once she had occupied. Even less than a foot away felt like too much. She looked at him, critically. She glanced around.

"How long has it been?" She asked.

"Elsa, it's 2024. You've been dead for 102 years." He said, and a violent pang hit his stomach, "I've been without you for over a hundred years, and each day I would have spent in agony for this coming, had I known. I didn't mean to, Elsa...you have to know, I didn't mean for what happened to occur!" He said in a large rush, afraid that if she knew how he had left, she would hate him. Elsa touched his hand softly.

"Jack, I couldn't hate you." She said and Jack looked up, surprised. He looked over her. She was not dressed in the ice-gown they had met in, although she looked around that age. Nor was it any of the castle gowns that had spilled from her wardrobe when they had reigned. It was a dress that was magical. It was the kind of magic that his hoodie and pants were. Something fired in his brain, and he took her hand, playing with it softly.

"Elsa?" He questioned, tracing the lines of her hand, "What are you now?" The question did not need clarification. Elsa gave a flitted smile, as if she was privy to a secret-which most likely was the cause.

"I'm not a winter spirit, if that's what you mean." She shook her head, and Jack's heart melted.

"Then you're not magical? Are you just here for tonight...Elsa, I can't lose you again!" He insisted, gripping her tiny hands in a vise grip, symbolizing that he wasn't going to let her disappear.

"Jack." She sighed like so many times before, that kind of sigh where he knew that look was coming. The eye roll look. Yep, there it was, "Why do you assume if I'm not a winter spirit I'm nothing?" She asked.

"Because...aren't you?" He asked, "How could you ever be without your ice? It's part of you Elsa..." He was lost for words, and it felt as though something inside of him died. For some silly reason, it was as if Elsa had betrayed him, purposely chose to give up her magic. It was a passing thought, most likely a ridiculous one, but all the same...

"Oh stop being so dramatic, Frost." Elsa sighed, "I still have my ice magic...I just am in the power of something...better..." She said carefully, a wide smile slipping out from her face, her teeth nervously gnawing at her bottom lip.

Jack was about to ask what when the whole room was plunged into absolute darkness, and there was a clattering and a crash from the balcony. Elsa gave a knowing grin.

"Jack, dear, I believe we have company."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MGOMGO ELSA'S BACK CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? IT'S THE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
> 
> And I love Nash, the grimm reaper :) His last name is Laveau, the famous voodoo priestess from New Orleans. You can look up your own stuff on her.
> 
> Atanacio (ah-tah-NAH-see-oh): Greek/Spanish. Means 'without death'.


	57. Chapter 57

Jack couldn't see who or what was their so called company. Be it anyone but his family- extended or not- he would send them away without hesitation. But the figure seemed collapsed a bit on the ground, and when it moved, it was slow. He looked at Elsa, who held a little grin on her face, indicating that there was something going on that he did not know.

In the darkness, Jack trailed his fingers down Elsa's arm and found her fingers, and intertwined them as he fumbled for a candle. A tiny flickering light became a few more as he dotted them around the room in hopes of seeing the rude intruder.

The figure, tall and lanky like Jack's own physique, but in an almost animated and fantastical way, strode into the room. It was a man, who was somewhere in his 20s, slightly older than Jack or Elsa's immaculate ages. He looked like the perfect example from a Tudor empire, puffy sleeves and god-awful looking clothes in all. Or, he would have been, had his hair not been the color of the stars-a perfect silver- and the dark circles that lined his eyes like makeup or he'd been awake for way too long. His fingers were almost unrealistically long and aquiline or spidery. His eyes were pale yellow, the same color as the...Jack stopped.

"Who are you?" he asked. The man seemed displeased by his question, as indicated by a heavy frown. Jack noticed from his side vision that suddenly the lights in the room had stopped flickering. The flames were frozen in place, just like the trees that once were swaying, now like statues or a photograph of a perfect moment. He turned to Elsa, and was relieved to see her moving.

"I was afraid you were frozen too- like the candles." He offered as a soft explanation when she questioned his frantic gaze. There was a low, deep laugh from the intruder. It was much deeper and rougher than he imagined such a person who looked like so to posses.

Jack spun on him angrily. "Excuse me, but I don't think you should be laughing! You haven't even told me who you are or why the hell you're here!" The anger came from deep inside of him, and even he was surprised with the ferocity. The man seemed un-offended though, just had a slightly bemused expression even.

"Oh Jack. Haven't you figured it out yet?" He asked, his finger pointing to something behind him in the sky. Or the lack of in the sky. Where the moon had been not even mor than a minuet ago was now vanished. And it wasn't just hiding behind a cloud, it was gone. Jack's eyes flickered to the man, whose own eyes were the exact color as...oh.

"The Man in the Moon." Jack realized, holding back the emotions in his voice, for if he had the chance to hash it out now, then there would be much yelling. But he was trying to forgive him, and the kid showing up here for sure didn't help.

"He's a slow one, Elsa." He tipped his head to Jack.

"Don't talk to her like you know her!" Jack said protectively, sourly.

"Manson..." Elsa sighed, shooting a warning at the man, and Jack let his jaw hang agape.

"Manson? A first name basis? Elsa!" He whined.

"Jack..." Manson pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm here...to apologize. I also need to explain some things." He admitted.

"Too late. YOu had your chance." Jack growled sourly.

"Listen to what he has to say." Elsa prodded softly, and Jack caught her eye. She looked so trustful, and there was something new in her eyes. The plead broke him down.

"Fine." He said, defeated, and sat back onto the edge of the bed with a plop. Manson looked relieved.

"I'll be short, I promise. I mean, I don't have long. Things are held like this for now, but it can't be held that long. Imagine the havoc that would begin if someone noticed the moon missing! Those mortals would think it's the apocalypse or something..." Manson frowned and tisked, "No, no. For sure not going through that again." He said, and Jack didn't want to ask.

Jack waited for Manson to begin talking, but for a moment he just wandered around the room. Jack saw him flexing his fingers. He touched his clothes, and frowned. Jack gave a little cough to draw him back. Manson sighed.

"I apologize. I haven't been out of the sky in nearly 500 years. That would explain my sourly out of date clothes." He said, and cracked his knuckles letting out a relieved sigh, "Just..." He frowned, concentrating and there was a sudden flash of blinding light. It only lasted a second, and when Jack saw him again, his appearance was totally changed. Instead of the tudor style-clothes, he wore modern things. Slightly tight dark washed denim, a button down shirt that looked like it was made of luxury material that was parted slightly at the top to a reveal a graphic tee-shirt underneath. Over that he had a pinstripe black vest, and a pair of sneakers. Even his hair, which previously had been up in a tie and was the length of Heimdall's, was now cut shaggily, with bangs resting just on top of his eyebrows.

"Was the change in clothes really necessary?" Jack sighed with impatience.

"Of course." Manson replied evenly, but without explanation. Jack felt as though it was not, and he was just showing off.

Seeming satisfied, Manson turned a bit. "Where to begin?" He asked, and shuffled his feet.

"Why don't you tell me..." Jack felt his throat go dry, "Why you've never talked to me?" He asked.

"I've tried." Manson frowned, "You never let me. It was only because of your beginning forgiveness tonight that I decided to attempt to make a connection, and it worked. You never had faith in me Jack, even before you stopped attempting to talk to me." He chuckled with a bit of mirth.

"Why are you here now, then? To force me into forgiving you?"

"Jack, really?" Manson sighed, "Let's not be childish. I came here to try to make things right. No, it's not because you're 'too important to lose' or it's for my 'own selfish reasons' but because I am genuinely sorry for the way I've treated you." He said. Jack humped, even though he did sound sincere.

"Why?" Jack asked, "Why did you do that? You will never know...the pain...I've lived in anguish without knowing it for 100 years. You can't possibly..imagine..."

Manson looked anguished too for a moment. He sighed, and sat next to Jack. "Frost...you and I are a lot more similar than you think." He said. Jack began to argue, but he held up a hand, "I was once mortal too. I was not always the Man in the Moon. Before me, it was a woman." He gave a rueful smile. He then looked down.

"I was born in 322 BC, in Ancient Rome. I worshiped all those gods that now seem silly now, being a god myself in a way, and all that. I died at the age of 19. My brother- he was 12- and I were down by the water and it was about to storm. We were in a boat, and couldn't get to the shore in time. My brother was about to fall out, but I pushed him back, and in turn fell into the water myself. I think I hit a rock, because when I woke up in the underworld, I had a gash on my head. Nash wasn't running it then, it was this nice looking guy who laughed when I called him Hades."

"Hold up one second," Jack stopped him, "Before you hear it from anywhere Else, Azura is currently dating Nash."

Elsa sucked in hard, "The Grimm Reaper?" She hissed.

"Elsa, before you get all motherly, he's a nice kid." Jack reasoned.

"MY BABY IS DATING DEATH?" She screeched, "How did this happen? Where is she now, I need to talk to her about this." She leapt up.

"Uh...she's with Nash...in the underworld..." Jack said. Elsa looked about ready to kill him, but Manson coughed.

"Elsa, I can vouch for him. He's alright. I would like to get through all this before my time runs up." He said. There was an invisible agreement that passed between the two, and Elsa eased back, sending sour looks at her husband. Jack couldn't stop smiling. His not-dead-wife was glaring at him!

"Right, back to it all. The current Lady in the Moon made me a water spirit, sort of like a Winter Spirit, but different. For a while, I wandered around, doing my daily work and all. It was painful, watching my little brother at my funeral and growing up. But I got over it. I thought nothing could be more painful until I met...her. She was...eloquent. She was beautiful. And she liked me, Mother Earth."

"Wait, you and Mommy Earth? Ew." Jack said, imagining the brash brown woman he knew today, and trying to imagine her with Manson.

"Different Mother Earth, Jack. Titles change, things happen." Jack wasn't sure how this could be true, as they were immortal, but he took Manson's word for it.

"Anyway, her name was Chrysanthemum. Cryssy. She was my little flower. Others told me it was crazy to fall in love with spirits, it just didn't happen. Well, there were a few, but they were happy just being as they were. But I wanted...more..." He looked down at his hands, and they clenched, "Because she was Mother Earth, she could have children. And we had a son." He now smiled, fond memories.

"Tooth told me there was one other a long time ago." Jack said, something finally clicking, "It was...you..."

"Yes." Then Manson's face turned ashen, "But...we can die. It's horrible, torturous, and painful. It was Pitch. And once we die- us immortals, there's nothing left. We've lived more than once, so we are just...gone...and I lost them both."

"That's why he couldn't kill you. You wouldn't have been with me, you would have been who knows where." Elsa comforted, and Jack shook his head.

"I didn't know." He said, feeling dizzy suddenly. He was that close to disappearing, really.

"It was eons later I became the moon, but I can't ever forget them. Jack, I care for everyone up there, with the same love I cared for Cryssy and my little man. And I saw you and Elsa and...I didn't want that to happen to you. I didn't know how it would turn out, and I was afraid for you. I guess I failed, because you still had to feel like you wanted to die without her..." He sighed.

"Manson." Jack couldn't believe it, but he felt himself putting his hand on the man's shoulder, "I would have rather felt pain than never known. Even though it hurts, love is healing too." He said.

"I suppose I had forgotten that part of it." Manson agreed, "It had been so long since I've been in love, I've just lived with the aftermath. But Nash will never stop looking for her soul, hoping it will re-appear. Perhaps, if I were ever a good man, it will." He said, his eyes shining.

Jack's hate dispirited bit by bit. They both stood, nose to nose, and Jack saw similarities. Same nose, same build, same height. They were nearly the same, but so different.

"Okay, I don't hate you anymore." Jack said grudgingly.

Manson gave a slow nod. "I'm glad to hear that."

"So you were a human." To Jack, that was unfathomable.

"But I know I was always meant to be The Man in the Moon." He added.

"LIke I was always supposed to be Jack Frost?" Jack prompted.

"Exactly." Jack's irritation returned, slightly.

"So why me?" he asked, "How was I chosen?"

Manson looked pleased at his question. "Ah, Jack, that is something that had been decided long before any of this existed, before the world was formed. Every spirit you meet today was once a human. And they were all born to be immortal, but they were not chosen as you think you were."

"But I was." Jack corrected, and Manson shook his head.

"No, no...it's like this. So, in time, I have the limited knowledge that someone called Jack Frost, a master of winter, will be created someday. And I also know that the Season powers will be born into people, people who most will one day become spirits. So I put the almost genetic code into a person. But that doesn't mean that said person will be the next Jack Frost, I leave it up to chance. But eventually, down the line without warning, Jack Frost will be born as a human, and he will be magical and his center will be fun, because he was always Jack Frost."

"And then he dies and you make him a guardian." Jack supplied the ending.

"It's not like that. You agreed to be a guardian, although it seems you don't recall. In between death and immorality, you agreed to it. That's why perhaps I was a bit harsh about the whole destiny that I knew. I didn't know you didn't know you had agreed to my destiny lines..." He frowned, rubbing his chin.

"That seems like a pretty important memory to have." Jack said.

Manson's lip quirked, "You and memory problems seem to always find each other." He chuckled, "But I would have never made anyone immortal if they did not want to. Everyone had a choice. All of your children did, but all except Azura chose the other side. But I always thought she would chose your life."

Jack digested his words. "So it could have been anyone, but it was me." He said in short terms. Manson shook his head.

"No, it was always you. There is a power that even I cannot phantom above that decided it was to be you. Like how Elsa would be the a double- ice and the other." He said, then he chuckled, "Perhaps in a way, you two were destiny to meet, and I just did not understand."

"Ha!" Jack couldn't help but jab, "You were wrong." Manson let him gloat.

"Perhaps." A couple words caught up with Jack.

"Wait- what do you mean Elsa's a 'double' that she has an 'other'." He turned to his wife, who had stayed mostly silent this whole time, "Dear?"

"Jack, I told you I"m not just still a frost spirit...I'm...Mother Time."

Jack's head snapped between Manson and Elsa, who were smiling with glee. "What?"

"Mother Time. Elsa is Mother Time. She's actually the one whose holding the world frozen at the moment. Which I daresay without her former frost powers would not be so effective." He laughed.

"But isn't the fable Father Time?" Jack grasped in the air to make sense of this shattering revelation.

"It is now. Silly mortals, they mistranslated." He rolled his eyes, "But a male being a father figure makes no sense. A mother creates life, and she also knows the sanctity of it, so when she takes it, it is not arbitrarily or just for honor or something equally as immoral." He explained, "Did you ever wonder why she was so fertile?" He asked.

"I just thought I was that good..." Jack said, his ego slightly bruised.

"But just as I was explaining, she was always Mother Time, even in her time being human. She could always slightly manipulate time." Manson said, looking at Jack meaningfully.

"When I thought I was becoming mortal...that was you?" He gaped.

"Well I didn't know I was doing it!" She snapped a little defensively, a little sheepishly, "I guess I just wished that you could age with me so badly..." She admitted.

"When I saw that, I knew it was her, and that made me all the more fearful that she would agree to it and become immoral, and then she'd die..." Manson said, "But did you also never wonder how it was that none of your children died before she did? You did not live in the time of prime medicine, and death was quite common. Or did you ever wonder how Berlio, when he contracted Spanish Influenza, despite all odds and the fact that his heart nearly stopped beating, that he still pulled through? Thank your wife." He said.

Jack stared at his wife, who under his gaze gave a little giggle, and he couldn't help but think how powerful she was. She was so wonderfully here and important, and all of Manson's explanations came to a single thought in his mind...it was all meant to be. Elsa and he were MEANT TO HAPPEN.

Such a relief and joy washed over him that he couldn't help but grab her face and kiss her passionately. Manson gave a laugh from the background, and Jack broke apart, feeling embarrassed at his slightly adolescent hormones getting the best of him.

"I think I'll take my leave. Elsa, if you will?" All at once, the trees began to move again. Manson bowed to Jack, "I have very much enjoyed your company. If you ever would like to talk again, and I feel you will, I would much prefer us in this form instead of the telepathic way I usually communicate. Elsa will show you the way."

Jack nodded numbly, and stared at him. Manson climbed onto the top of the balcony railing like Jack often did, then jumped. Jack blinked and Manson was gone, and the moon once again spilled into the room. It seemed like a comfort now.

"Elsa...I never thought...wow..." He breathed. His fingers traced all down her body, ending at her stomach, "So if you're Mother Time..." He said, and his face turned red. He couldn't believe he was getting all flustered about this, after all the times before and all.

"No, Jack. I can only get pregnant as I chose to now, but it has to be conscience thought. No offense, but I'm sort of done with kids."

"Oh thank Odin...me too." They both laughed. Jack moved in to kiss her, but Elsa held her fingers to his lips.

"Before all this...I want to show you something." She said smiling, a sparkle in her eyes.

"What is it?" He asked, as Elsa stood, "Where?"

"Just come here and close your eyes." She led Jack to the middle of their room. She clasp his upper arms hard, and he did the same to hers. He kept his eyes tight, per request of his lady, but he suddenly felt compelled to open them. Wind swirled around him, and it louder and louder. It whipped at his clothing and hair, and his ears rang by the intensity of the wind. It almost felt harsh and literally sounded like he was standing near the turbine of a plane.

Then, unannounced, it stopped.

And Jack heard birds...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Manson! I don't like the name Manny- it makes me think of Ice Age...I do like Manson though teehee.
> 
> So, btw, last night I read and finished the most amazing book I've seriously read in a long time. It's called 'We Were Liars' and it is tragically beautiful and amazingly artistic (I perhaps enjoyed it because it sorta reads like The Invisible does, little snippets through time). It's also a mystery and the ending just blew my mind. I was at a party when I finished it (yes, I'm the lamo that reads at a party) and I had to keep myself from crying. Seriously; read it.
> 
> And where did Elsa and Jack go...? Stay tuned to find out!


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now...this chapter. I finished writing the fanfiction on my latptop yesterday. You know why it took me so long? Because of this chapter. Not that I had a writer's block but because this chapter to me, the beginning had to be...perfect.
> 
> It's one of those chapters where I wish this was a movie because I almost feel like the words are not enough to convey what I want to convey and a movie would be able to at least capture it. Oh, well, I did my best.
> 
> And like I had for the worst chapter, I have a playlist for the best chapter:
> 
> 1\. The Living Sculptures of Pemberley- Dario Marianelli
> 
> 2\. One Summer's Day- Joe Hisaishi
> 
> 3\. Floating/Sinking- Peter Boderick
> 
> 4\. Lux Aurumque- Eric Whitacre and SC Band (Instrumental Verison, not Choral version)
> 
> 5\. Echo-Helen Jane Long

Jack never felt cold, but he felt the immediate change in temperature when the whirling stopped. A long lost memory shoved up his throat, and even though he could not see, it was as if everything was in a good place. The air was a warm summer breeze, and he could only hear the click of birds and the scuttling of squirrels. Elsa touched his eyes, a motion to let him open them.

It was every happy memory, this place. It was the most perfect day, even for a frost creature himself. It was the hours when he had been human he and his sister Emma had ran through the meadows, before he caught her and they rolled and laughed on the grass. The meadow went on for miles, a perfect shade of green grass that was soft and moved in waves with the wind. The trees on the edge of the field waved hello in the warm air, and to his left great mountains rose high above him. A pair of robins darted past his nose, spiraling up until they twittered away. Jack felt as though he had never seen a place more beautiful than this, more perfect. Even his fortress of ice paled and melted in comparison.

"Elsa...this is..." He breathed, unable to form words.

"All the good memories of the world. The best of care-free summer days." She murmured in his ear.

He gazed up, the sun a blinding ball of white fires burning miles away, but not so much that he knew it would hurt him. There was not a cloud to obscure the sun in the sky, which was a perfect hue of baby blue, as if someone had tacked a piece of paper where the sky was supposed to go.

"I can see...but where is this? Exactly?" He questioned, turning to his wife. Elsa looked at him, and she softly touched his arm.

"It's..." He eyes twinkled with all the stares in the sky that could not be seen here, and when she spoke it was if the air around him had swirled and simply breathed effortlessly from her lips, "...On."

A thousand voices seemingly spoke, but it was Elsa.

The depth of that singular word rocked him to the core. It was just two letters, one exalted breath, one seemingly unconnected idea but with everything it was the most soulful thing Jack had ever heard, and his eyes pricked with tears.

"I never thought a place like that could be so...amazing." He admitted, "Is this where you were, before today?" He asked.

Elsa just smiled and nodded in response. Jack, in his awe, almost wondered why she'd leave a place that even from him could evoke the most passionate and haunting emotions.

Jack felt Elsa's hand slip into his own, and he clenched it hard, and then let go, to let it simply rest comfortably in his palm. She gently tugged him.

"Come Jack, there's something to see here."

Jack walked with her. "Is it ever night here?" He asked, wondering about something Manson had said.

"Not often- one day here is a thousand days there, or sometimes only three. I had no sense whatsoever of how long it had been. 100 years! Here I thought it had perhaps been only thirty. Time is non existent, which means I can come here whenever I would like."

"So this is where Manson goes." Jack surmised.

"Ah, yes. That too. I had met him a couple times before he created me like this. I don't think he was holding my creation hostage, but it would have been difficult to explain what needed to be said had you not accepted him yet." Elsa explained, "But I wouldn't have complained. There are things here that are worth staying."

"The happy feeling?" Jack guessed. She kissed his cheek gingerly, "I've never felt more...home."

"More than this." She assured in a soft whisper, nearly inaudible, "More."

They were approaching the edge of a hill. Elsa suddenly paused, and Jack looked at her.

"There's some people I've met here, and I very much think they'd like to meet you." She said and there was a loud gasp from behind him. Jack turned, and out of nowhere, there were three people who approached up the slope. Before he knew what was happening, a girl bombard him and narrowly knocked him over.

"Jack!"

Jack pushed her away, holding the girl at arm's length, and he saw long brown hair in a braid, wide brown eyes, and a little birthmark underneath her left eye. His shock wore off after a couple moments.

"Emma?" He gaped, feeling weak, "Emma...Odin, please tell me it's you..." He breathed. Emma nodded soundlessly, and Jack hugged his sister so tightly that he thought she may break.

"Oh Jack, Jack...I never got to thank you for saving my life." She murmured in his ear, squeezing him tighter. His sister was not the age where he had died, but seemingly at the age of about 25. It was weird to think she now was older than he in this form. He had almost forgotten about the other two figures, and when he lifted his head from his sister's embrace, one he noticed right away. Well, he recognized.

"Mom!" He wasn't sure if he should continue to hold his sister or hug his mother. She didn't make him chose, but went around and hugged both of her children from their left side, "Mom...I"m sorry I left you alone with Emma. I didn't...I didn't..." He wanted to apologize. Had he not been so intent on going ice-skating so close to spring, none of this would have happened.

"Jack, you're a Guardian. Your father and I couldn't have been more proud.'

"My...father?" Jack questioned, and a strong embrace engulfed him from the other side. It was a scrawny man like himself, with warm brown eyes and lighter brown hair. It was the man from his repressed memories from when he was only a toddler and his father would throw him up on his shoulders, and they walked through their town and his father convinced the bee master to give him a honey comb for Jack to suck on. His father seemed more transparent than the others, perhaps indicating a longer stay here.

They held themselves for a long moment, and Jack let his breath synchronize with his families' until it felt like one. Then, his mother pulled apart, and hugged Elsa.

"Your wife is so beautiful, Jack. I could not have wished a more fitting fate for you. In death, you found something better than any of us could have imagined. She is the perfect daughter-in-law."

"Mrs. Overland..." Elsa chuckled uneasily, looking at Jack.

"And your children-," His mother began and Jack shot up straight.

"Children?" He said, spinning around, "Elsa...where?"

Elsa gave a knowing smile to his mother, and offered her hand. Jack felt a whole mix of conflicted emotions arise within him. On one hand, his heart mourned and ached for the loss of his children, and he ever so desperately wanted to see them again. Then there was the fear that they would reject him for what he had done, hate him and disown him. Also, there was just joy. He had never imagined yesterday that he would have all this within a few short hours. Elsa, his parents, his children...it all felt like some dream, something too good to be true.

The pair descended down the hill, and Jack saw a clearing with thick trees and little log cabins within the scooped out earth. The first person he saw was Gavner. Gavner who looked young, with his shining black hair and grin as he and Kristoff carried a large log over their shoulders.

"Gav!" Jack broke into a run, leaving Elsa to sprint down the rest of the way. Gavner stopped mid laugh, and looked up. He put a hand to his eyes and squinted, trying to see who had called his name. With a strangled gasp, he dropped his side of the log (leaving Kristoff swearing and still confused about what was going on) and met Jack at the very edge of the lawn.

They met with a very manly hug, and Gavner was laughing so hard at something Jack didn't get.

"Dude!" Gavner said, and just shook his head, "If you weren't immortal, I'd kill you. Your children gleefully informed me in my last days I kept screaming your name like a love-sick teenager. I'm sorry Jack, but I just don't love you like that."

Jack had been so afraid his friend would hate him too, for leaving him, but Jack let a deep, rancorous laugh explode from his chest at the very thought of it. Then Ganver laughed too, and punched Jack a little too hard on the arm. It was all that had to be done for forgiveness. Kristoff dropped the log with a resounding 'thud' and sighed. From the door of a little cabin, two women emerged.

"Kristoff, what's all the noise about-," Anna began, but then here eyes bulged from her head. Heloise, who was with her, gasped.

"Jack's back..." She whispered, or at least he thought she had whispered, yet within record time people were sprinting from the trees. His eldest son reached him first, and Heimdall grabbed Jack roughly around the neck.

"You're such a ass, you know that?" He asked, but in the same playful manner that Gavner had. Jack was speechless. It was overwhelming, but for the only time in his life, he was so incredibly glad.

There were so many people in this make-shift village- people he had never seen before. People he had only seen in the portraits at the castle- Elsa and Anna's parents were there, and Elsa's father came up to give him his official permission to date his daughter- albeit only 200 some years late- and then descendants or partners that he had never the chance to meet. There were some other spirits lingering around too, a woman with wild red hair that looked strikingly like Kane sitting with Rin and their children, although she seemed to be from very much a different time period. Anna went over to giggle with the Queen of Corona, although he was not sure if there even were still kings and Queens there.

He turned to Elsa, a little sheepishly. "Hey, so I was looking at all the stuff in this the castle in today's time and there's this guy named Hiccup- unfortunate name by the way-," He began to say, but Heimdall cut in.

"Hiccup? Dad you gotta meet him! Lucky he dropped by today, otherwise who knows when you would have seen him!" Heimdall seemed childlike in his excitement as he dragged his father to the outskirts of the clearing. There was the man he had seen in the painting with the woman, and they were laughing and eating some roasted animal that had been cooked over a fire. Jack supposed that you lived here how you lived there, if only because of comfort.

"Hiccup!" Heimdall called, and the man started.

"Ah," Hiccup said nodding, "Jack? Heimdall's told me all about you." There was laughter in his eyes, and his voice didn't quite match his gruff face or stories of being such a valiant leader. It almost seemed pre-teen like.

"What kind of a name is Hiccup?" Jack burst out.

"What kind of father names their son Heimdall?" His sassy wife retorted.

"An awsome one!" Jack replied in defense. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Astrid, please." He said, turning, "I agree. My name is not exactly fearsome, like a viking should have been. C'est la vie." He said with a gentle shrug.

"Right." Jack looked all around, "So I gotta ask, the whole thing with dragons...myth right?" He prompted. Hiccup, Heimdall, and Astid laughed, although Jack didn't know why. Hiccup whistled with two fingers and a great black beast swooped from the sky. Jack thought at first he was being attacked by a very large flying bear. But it wasn't...it was...a dragon...

"Damn it." Jack cussed, and when Heimdall looked at him with shocked confusion, Jacks sighed, "I owe Lila twenty bucks." He moaned.

"Whose she?"

"Your great-great-grand-daughter, the most direct first line of heir." He explained, "She's pretty cool." Heimdall gave a soft smile.

"I wish I could meet her. I suppose one day...I will." He glanced at Hiccup, "Now that dad's here...there's probably going to be a feast." He said. Astrid snorted, uninterested until Heimdall added, "With wine."

Hiccup just laughed at his wife, who glared at him. "What? These guys somehow have the best wine."

And soon nearly it seemed like 80 people were seated at a table, Jack's family, Elsa's family, and their combined family. Everyone was staring at Jack, even while they ate. It was food that was so good that it could only come from here.

"Have you seen Azura?" Eira finally spoke up, "We know she died...but she's not here." She looked frightened for her sister.

"Oh, don't worry. She's a winter spirit, like me." Someone people looked relieved, others looked dismayed, "But she's happy. She has a boyfriend." This perked Neela's interest across the table, as many other females.

"A boyfriend?" Neela gasped, "You're joking. Azura? Date? Since when!"

"Since never." Colbourne said, and Jack noted that he no longer had an eyepatch, and that his eyes looked alive, "Dad...seeing is weird." He said when he noticed his father looking at him.

"But you still pretend I'm a potato..." Ernest sighed, shaking his head.

"So?"

"Hey!" Jack called attention back to the table, "It's the Grimm Reaper! They're vacationing right now in the underworld!" This sent everyone into a tizzy. Merida, who he discovered the wild woman's name was, made some comment about visiting the underworld on one occasion, to which her descendant Kane replied that she had not and the two got into a fight. Alfsol, with his daughter at his side, made some lewd comment about their 'spicy' and 'hot' sex life, to which his mother batted him over the ear. Jack hadn't really expected anything different. Elsa promised she would bring her here too when she got the chance.

That was for sure the talk of dinner. Even those that didn't know Azura as she was still wondered and gossiped about what it was like dating a Grimm Reaper. A few of the younger generations of girls seemed quite depressed to find out that he didn't wear skin-tight jeans or have so called 'sexy' black hair that hung in his eyes. And he most certainty did not wear black eye-liner. Jack cringed at that thought, and knew that no matter how much Azura loved the guy, he would have never allowed her out with a guy who wore makeup.

It was much too soon when Elsa announced they should be getting back. Jack took the time to hug everyone there individually, and give little thoughtful sentiments to all his children and grandchildren he knew, and to attempt to learn the names and family lines of those he didn't. For his own direct family, that was perhaps the most meaningful for him. He almost didn't want to leave them all, not when this was all he had ever wanted, until Elsa reminded him of Jamie and Lila back home. Elsa also told everyone with a smile it would be a much sooner return to all of them in comparison to what it would feel like in the real world.

On their walk back to the spot they had entered in Jack told her about their house being converted into a school. Elsa seemed to take the news well, and perhaps it was Jack's hopefulness, but she even may have seemed a little excited.

Back in their room, it was still night and at first thought that no time had really passed. Until he wandered downstairs and saw on the grand clock (which conveniently said the day, as he was quite forgetful with such things) it had already been three days. Elsa shrugged, warning him that time could be quite unpredictable there, and that was sort of nice for her not to have to worry about. Jack asked her the extent of her powers, and she did point out she was just 'created' technically that day, and she herself had no idea what she was capable of. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"You know what I missed the most? Bathing." She laughed.

"They didn't have nice bathtubs there?" Jack asked confused.

"Oh they did. But I heard from some of the newer girls about this wonderful thing called a shower and I just have to try it. You do have one, right?" She asked. Jack pointed her in the right direction, and she offered a sexy remark that he should join her. He would have, at any other time, wasted no time following her. Today, he said he needed to check on some things for the school and he would be up within 5 minuets. Damn job obligations before sexy time.

He was just skimming things in his office when the door opened. He was about to call back that he was going to join her, just hold your horses, when he was very glad that another voice spoke before he embarrassed himself.

"Dad? Where the hell have you been, no pun intended!" Azura was furious. Nash hovered a bit behind her, looking at Jack with the expression that clearly stated he was sure glad that he wasn't the one in Jack's shoes.

"Huh?" Jack said, "It's only been-," he began to say.

"ONLY BEEN?" Azura threw up her hands, "Ingrid and Lila were worried sick when you didn't show up for Christmas and they had to pull Jamie away from his family to track down me in the underworld and all the guardians." She huffed loudly, "You can't just disappear!"

"About that, really, you're going to laugh...or cry...when I tell you this but-," He began to say, but Elsa appeared at the top of the stairwell, a bath robe around her body and hair wet.

"Jack who the heck is in the house..." She trailed off, realizing who was standing there. Azura, a finger pointed at Jack menacingly, turned angrily to see who was in the house too and her whole body just seemed to deflate.

"Mummy?" She squeaked. She had never sounded so unsure or afraid in her whole life. Elsa was careful as she walked down the stairs, and Azura just fell into her arms like a little girl. She was pretty much beyond the point of speaking. Elsa's eyes fell on her companion.

"Nash, is it?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Nash gulped.

"Yes Mama Time?" He said, shrinking a bit.

"Wait, how do you know who she is?" Jack interrupted, and Nash looked totally fearful for a moment. Azura was questioning the whole mother time thing, but none the less Nash regained his courage.

"She's Mama Time...she always has been...although from Azura's reaction, I'd say she was just created." Nash twiddled his fingers, "Don't ask me, it's one of those weird time space continuum things. Because she's time, she always has been." He tried to explain, "Do you understand?"

"I don't think I want to." Elsa dismissed it, "But you better not pull anything on her! You be good to my little girl, or else I will use my time powers and erase you!" She threatened.

"Mom!" Azura groaned.

Nash backed away. "Aye, ma'am." He said.

"Aww...why weren't you that afraid when I threaten you?" Jack pouted, "Am I not an intimidating father, Elsa?" He asked.

"No of course dear, you're terrifying." She quickly said, so Jack wasn't sure if she was lying or not. Azura just laughed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Dad, I thought I had the most wonderful and perfect Christmas present for you, but I suppose Mom coming back just makes it look so small I don't even know if I should bother giving it to you anymore." She admitted.

"It's Christmas! I don't have time to get presents-Jack I hope you didn't forget like Christmas back in 1899-," She began but Jack held up a hand.

"No, dear, of course I got her a Christmas present and really? I thought we weren't going to bring that up again?" He rolled his eyes, "It didn't ruin Christmas entirely- just opening gifts in the morning."

Elsa laughed, and kissed her daughter's head. "I don't honestly know how your father is still functioning and running a school, by Odin, after all these years."

"Lots of female help." Azura confirmed with a scoff.

There was a moment of silence, and then a little jingle started suddenly from the noiseless of the four. Azura jumped a bit, before pulling out a cell phone.

"It's Ingrid- she's so worried Jack! I'll take this." She said, and waltzed away.

"What is that she is talking on?" Elsa whispered to Jack.

"Cell phone. I'll explain later." He assured, "There's a lot you've missed."

"Ingrid's still back home. Maybe Elsa and you would like to go back down and visit...see your old castle..." Nash prompted to Elsa, who gave a little smile.

"Ah, the old castle...I had almost forgotten about that." She murmured.

"Do you want to?" Jack questioned.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful." Elsa said, and began walking away, "Are you coming?" She asked, drawing her daughter in and explaining where they were going. Azura's smile was a million miles wide.

Jack watched Azura motion for Nash, and they looped arms around each other. Jack watched Elsa kiss her daughter's hair and Azura laughed. Elsa turned back.

"Jack?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. Jack gave a smile and nodded, following.

It had been so long since he had a family. And Odin, was it ever perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE? SEE? SEE WHY I LOVE THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH?
> 
> Anyway, if you couldn't tell, the 'On' part was greatly inspired by Harry Potter book 7 at the train station :3


	59. Chapter 59

"Elsa! Elsa!" Elsa turned to see Jamie waving her down. It had been nearly a year since her return, and things had never been so wonderfully swell.

"Yes, Jamie?" She asked.

"Hey, is it true that you're going back there today?" He asked, slyly referring to the place Elsa had taken Jack after her re-arrival. Giving it a name seemed so pointless, almost anything that could be used to describe it would not have nearly sufficed. Besides, most people knew what they were talking about anyway.

"Nash is. They want to tell everyone the good news." She said, "But Jamie, even if you wanted to go, you couldn't. I wouldn't risk taking a mortal there. You may not come back like you are." Jaime gave a long sigh. 'Like you are' meant...dead. It was difficult for Elsa to force that word out though.

"I already know that, Elsa." He huffed, "I just...wanted to see if they could find someone there?" He asked, a forlorn expression appearing on his face. Elsa touched his shoulders softly. It was easy to see this boy as her nephew, he was quite easy to love.

"Ah, Dominique." She surmised after a moment. Jamie tried to look strong, but Elsa saw a tear on the edge of his eyes. She wiped it away in a motherly fashion. Who needed more children when she had Jaime and Sophie- now 14 and aware of this place- to look after like her own?

Jamie ran a large hand through his hair. "I mean, I'm going back for her funeral but -Dom, I mean, Cupcake was..." He sighed, his shoulders falling.

"She was special to you." Elsa guessed without having him to speak it out loud, "Was she...?"

"She used to pick on me, when we were kids. She picked on everyone. I always thought she was really brave, though. She didn't take anything from no one!" Jamie chuckled, "She really grew up, in high school." Jamie reminisced, "Had I been a little more courageous...I always sort of loved her." He admitted, "I want her to know."

"Maybe she already does." Elsa said with a smile, "Girls can be quite perceptive."

"I know, I know. But it's just not fair." He now lamented, fully engulfed in sorrow, "Why, of all people, did she have to be the one in the passenger seat of that car? Why did no one else die from the crash? Why!" He grit his teeth, "Elsa can you...please-,"

"I cannot go back in time to save her." Elsa guessed and Jamie's whole expression just fell right from his face, "It was meant to happen like this." She murmured.

"I don't care." Jamie whimpered, "I just want her back."

"Why don't you go and talk to Nash? He's taking Zur back today, and if he knows what she means to you, he can be sure to send her right on instead of having to wait." She said. Jamie's face filled with horror.

"You mean without me, she might be waiting in purgatory?" He leapt up, "Nash? NASH!" He called, scrambling away.

Elsa frowned for him, she felt deeply moved by his pain. Jamie could have any girl he wanted. From what Jack had described of his companion they called 'cupcake', she had been brawny, large, and and was made fun of her for so called 'ugliness'. Jack had also commented he hadn't been back to Burgess to check up on them, so perhaps she had blossomed as Jamie had claimed. Either way, it was hard to watch her nephew in so much pain.

Nash would take good care of her, though. He was perhaps the most caring Death that had been in position in a long time.

Azura had gone back with her mother and Nash and her father to the place not long after they had spent Christmas with Ingrid and Elsa's descendants. Nash had an even easier time going there, as it was the better of the two places people could be sent. Zur and Nash were regulars there, although time always did seem a bit funky when they went- once they were gone for ten minuets and had claimed to have spent three days there. Once they were gone for a week and said that it had only been an hour or two.

Jack had gone back only once, because he knew if he went too often he would become attached to the familiarity. Besides, he did have a school to run. Elsa effortlessly integrated into the community, and Jack offered to give her the the head title, but Elsa refused. It was Jack's school, not hers, and she was fine for once in her life not being the absolute head. She added all the motherly touches that Azura had been half taking care of, but with a little more experience. It was like all these children here were her own, and Jack commented often the halls seemed brighter, the rooms were cleaner, and the whole castle was full of love.

Elsa watched Jamie disappear down the long halfway, still looking for Nash. She heard Jack come up behind her. To most, his approach would have been silent and stealthy. He enjoyed scaring the living daylights out of Lila in this way, but Elsa knew his nearly inaudible footsteps anywhere.

"Jack, you can't scare me." She smiled, a glimmer in her eye.

"Darn. One day, Elsa." He waggled a finger, "Hey? Have you seen Jamie? He looked really upset at a letter he got today." Jack asked, making a face. Elsa touched his forearm softly, leading him through the halls. They passed the intersection of all the halls, the grand staircase room, where students were zipping past one another, talking and enjoying themselves. Most nodded or gave an acknowledgment to their 'Mom and Dad' of the castle, and Jack looked around for Jamie.

"His friend has just died." Elsa explained softly, "Cupcake." She said. Jack took a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh no." Jack shook his head, "Did he tell you he was in love with her?" He asked.

"I think he just figured it out. How did you know?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack chuckled.

"I watched all our sons fall in love, and mortals for who knows how long. By now, I'm a master at this." He assured, "But it was the little things." He added, scowling deeply.

"Like?"

"Ah, you know." They reached their own room, and Jack picked up his coffee from where he had left it to find his wife. The two went to sit on the porch, "The way he talked about her in conversations, slipping her name in. It was that he had a picture of her in his wallet. True, he had all his friends, but he updated hers every year. And the day she got asked to senior prom by this one guy, oh he was just in a horrible mood for days! I always wanted to say something, but I figured that he should figure it out himself. Now it's too late." Jack sighed.

"He wanted me to go back and stop the car crash from occurring." Elsa said, sipping her own coffee.

"Could you do that? Can you?" Jack asked.

There was still much that Elsa was unsure if she could do or not. Since, due to time and complicated things that she did not fully understand or could explain to Jack, she had always been Mother Time, there was no instruction manual that came with her. Of course, Jack hadn't gotten on either, but Elsa's new role was much stronger than his. There were still things they were figuring out.

"I could, I know." Elsa said, nodding, "But Nash and Manson did warn me that it would be unwise. It's only mortals who wish to mess with time-lines, and most are quite unaware of the staggering consequences if it were to happen. They are blinded by could have beens and lost opportunities." Elsa explained, "I told him I couldn't."

"Poor Jamie." Jack sighed, shaking his head, "Poor kid."

"He'll get over it." Elsa said, "Life goes on." She gave a little smile.

"Awe, I never got over you, dear." Jack reminded gently, but there was a pained smile at the edge of his words. He always wanted her, he had dealt with her death quite childishly, to be honest. He had only given up hope of seeing her again after re-gaining his memories, but move on...never.

"He is young though, and they were merely only friends. Any female would like to date him here." Elsa pointed out.

"Maybe he's like me, Else." Jack countered, "Perhaps he'll love her forever."

"Do you really want him to be like that? Always pining? Never with a family or children?"

Jack thought for a moment. "No I suppose not. You're much wiser than I, Elsa, and have only lived a fourth of my time."

"Technically, I've been around forever." She said with a little smile. Jack playfully reached over to tickle her.

"You're getting arrogant about that, dear." He said with a laugh, and Elsa batted away his fingers.

"I think I am allowed to." She replied with a wider smile now, and Jack put down his mug.

"Mhh perhaps." Jack agreed, "So...what do you want to do today? Thanks to me and my powers, we could go anywhere. I hear France is wonderful this time of year. Or have you been to Australia yet? Everything there tries to kill you! It's awesome!" Elsa, though, was looking at him with a weird smile on her face, "What? Do I have chocolate in my teeth?"

"No, I'm just happy. So...happy." She broke, hugging Jack and pressing her nose against his throat, "Oh, Jack."

"I'm happy too...for once...nothing to do."

She pulled away, and her face changed. She gave a loud scoff. She gave him an incredulous pulled a bag from her robes, and Jack saw a million envelopes.

"Nothing to do?"

"Well...besides that stuff..."

"I have so much to do Jack! More requests for an invite to the wedding...I would usually leave this to the Maid of Honor, but Lila is so busy with finals." She grumbled, "How will I ever getting done?"

"Ah, it's not every day that two spirits get married." He reminded her.

"I think mortal weddings were a lot less stressful." Elsa grumbled, "But I am doing this as her mother. Did you know that Cupid appeared yesterday and demanded he organize the wedding?"

"Was he wearing a diaper?"

"Not the focus, Jack. I told him that it was me who would be planning it, and to stay out of my way!" She said, ripping through the envelopes. She was making two piles; acceptable to be invited, and only when hell has frozen over (Jack did say that with an ice spirit being the Bride of Hades, that may very well be a possibility. Elsa just glared, refusing to change the pile name).

"Of course, dear." Jack agreed with a little chuckle.

Nash and Azura's wedding was to be the wedding of a lifetime. Even when Manson and Cryssy had been together, there had been no marriage. It had just happened, which was a lot more common among spirits that did come to be with each other. A marriage was huge though, because that was forever. And forever was well...forever.

"How much still needs to be done? Anything I can help with?" He asked. Elsa glared at him.

"Like how you helped with Heimdall's wedding and washed the white linens with your purple shirt?" She reminded.

"Aoife said she loved the color purple!"

"Or how you helped with the twin's wedding and mixed up the rings?"

"It was a laugh all around, everyone was so nervous anyway."

"Or what about the time you helped with Vienna's wedding and I gave you one tiny job of putting one specific vase on the wedding table, and you forgot to do it?"

"Oh, come dear. What's one flower vase to another?" He asked.

"Vienna's husband was very allergic to a certain flower, but since it was his 'V's wedding day, he insisted she could have her favorite flower. That vase I gave you was his non allergic vase. He swelled up like a balloon!" Elsa recalled, shaking her head.

"Okay, so I've pretty much messed up one thing at all my children's weddings. But it's like expected now. Something special that we all laugh about later."

"I don't think Sebastian was laughing when we had to call in a doctor."

"Besides him. Else if you don't give me an active part in this wedding planning, I'll most likely mess something else up...maybe on purpose. With these jobs, it's not even my intention."

"That's messed up logic, Frost." Elsa glared. She pulled a list from her bag, which at first, seemed very small. Then she let one hand go, and the list of wedding plans reached the floor, "But I suppose some very simple things will be okay. Perhaps, this will be the lucky wedding where everything will go smoothly."

"Has there ever been a wedding in history to accomplish that?" He asked. Elsa seemed to get very upset at this comment, and Jack knew that perhaps he shouldn't have said anything.

He grabbed away the list, tucking it into his back pocket. "Elsa, calm down."

"How can you tell me to calm down? I don't have time! I have to-give me that back-," She strained furiously against his hands, "Please Jack, it makes me really happy to do it!"

"Elsa, I've long ago accepted that this happiness has appeared. It's not planning weddings- although, I am happy to finally see Azura walk down the aisle- it's you. You are the only thing I need to be happy. Let's enjoy it." He said, grasping her hand, "No more worries of death, no more boundaries that keep us apart. We both know you'll plan everything with time to spare, and if not, you can just re-wind and make another you to finish the job." He urged, and gave Elsa a kiss to quiet her protesting lips. When she pulled back, her eyes reflected the bright sun of a perfect day. She seemed much more calm.

She looked out onto the spring moor, and Jack handed her back the list once he was sure she was calm. She sighed, shaking her head and re-folded it back into her pouch. When she looked at him again, there was a playful gleam in her icy blue eyes.

"You're right Jack...for the first time in forever, we have all the time in the world."


End file.
